It is a multi-disciplinary science since prerequisites for disease development are the presence of a susceptible host species, a pathogen and the appropriate environmental conditions.
Because of this interaction, the terminology used in phytopathology often comes from other disciplines including those dealing with the host species ( botany / plant science, plant physiology), the pathogen (bacteriology, mycology, nematology, virology), the environment and disease management practices (agronomy, soil science, meteorology, environmental science, ecology, plant breeding, pesticides, entomology), and areas of study that apply to both the host and pathogen (molecular biology, genetics, molecular genetics).
The result is that most phytopathological glossary include terms from these other disciplines in addition to terms (disease incidence, horizontal resistance, gene-for-gene relationship, blast, scab and so on) that are specific to, or which have a unique meaning in phytopathology.
However, for the sake of brevity, it has, for the most part, restricted terms from other disciplines to those that pertain to the pathogen.
acervuli) acid precipitation acid rain acropetal Actinomycetes acute acute toxicity aeciospore aecium aflatoxin agar aggressiveness air pollution alkaloids allele allelopathy alternate host alternative hosts alternation of generations amphid amphigynous amphimixis amphimobile anaerobic anamorph (adj.
nonpathogenic) axenic autoecious bacilliform bacterial streaming bactericide bacteriocin bacteriophage bacterium (pl.
basidial) binary fission binucleate bioassay biocide biocontrol (syn.
obligate parasite) biotype bitunicate blasting blight blotch breaking broadcast application brooming brown rot (of wood)
coat protein) carcinogen carrier casting causal agent certification cfu (abbr.
persistent transmission) cirrus cleistothecium clamp connection clavate (or claviform) coalesce coat protein (syn.
synnema) cross-protection crozier cryptobiosis (hidden life) curl cyst cytopathology damping-off days to harvest decay degree-day demicyclic deuteromycetes (syn.
Fungi Imperfecti) diagnostic antigen diploid diapause dieback (v. die back) differential host (syn.
dormant) downy mildew drift (of pesticides) drought durable resistance dwarfing echinulate economic threshold ectomycorrhiza (pl.
ectomycorrhizae) ectoparasite ectotrophic elicitor enation encapsidate encyst endemic endogenous endophytic endoconidium (pl.
arbuscular mycorrhiza) endoparasite endospore epidemic epidemiology epinasty epiphytotic eradicant eradication ergot ergotism erumpent escape etiolation etiology exclusion exogenous exudate f. sp.
gametangia) gametophyte gene-for-gene hypothesis general resistance (syn.
horizontal resistance, race non-specific resistance) genotype germ theory giant cell girdle giant cells gram-negative gram-positive gram stain growth regulator (syn.
for integrated pest management) isolate klendusity The disease-escaping ability of plants.
Koch's postulates knot latent infection latent period leaf dip leaf spot leafroll lesion life cycle lignification local lesion local necrosis lodge macerate macroconidium (pl.
necrotic) necrotroph needle cast (of conifers) nematicide nematode nitrogen oxides noninfectious disease nonpathogenic (syn.
ostiolate) overwinter pandemic papilla paragynous parasexualism parasite (adj.
circulative transmission) pest pesticide phenological synchrony phenotype phloem necrosis Phycomycete phyllody phylloplane-competent physiogenic disease phytoalexin phytopathogenic phytopathology (syn.
mycoplasmalike organism, MLO) phytosanitary certificate phytotoxic plant pathology (syn.
multigenic resistance) polymorphism polyprotein powdery mildew predispose (n. predisposition) primary inoculum (syn.
pycniospore for rust fungi) spicule spiroplasma – helical, motile, cell wall-less bacterium; member of genus Spiroplasma in class Mollicutes sporangiophore sporangiospore sporangium (pl.
sporangia) spore sporidium (pl.sporidia) sporocarp spore-bearing fruiting body sporodochium (pl.sporodochia) sporogenous sporophore sporophyte sporulate spot stabilizing selection staghead stem pitting sterigma (pl.
sterilized) stippling strain streak striate (n. striations) stroma (pl.
perfect state) teliospore (sometimes called teleutospore, teleutosporodesm) telium (pl.
gall) type urediniospore (also urediospore, uredospore) uredinium (also uredium; pl.
specific resistance) viable (n. viability) virescence virion viroid viroplasm virulence virulent viruliferous virus-laden, usually applied to insects or nematodes as vectors virus viscin walling-off water-soaked white rot (of wood) white rust wild type wilt winterburn witches' broom wound XLB (xylem-limited fastidious bacteria) xylem-limited fastidious bacteria (XLB) yellowing yellows zonate zoosporangium zoospore Zygomycetes zygospore