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Last year, we did a social media campaign of wonderful plant infographics on Plantae.
This year, we are focusing on plant diseases & pests with the Society of Chemical Industry's Horticulture and Agri-Food Early Career groups (@SCIHorticulture and @SCI_AgriFood) as 2020 is International Year of Plant Health (#IYPH2020)!
Learn more about the International Year of Plant Health. To raise awareness, Beastie The Bug has been travelling around the world. You may spot Beastie on our pictures later...
So without further adieu - let's start having a look at the infographics!
1. Let's learn about aphids with @SimsCassie! 🥳 Did you know one of the aphid sex pheromone components is the same as the active compound in catnip?
2. Whilst wilting of plants can be a sign of lots of different problems, there's a fungus which causes the Fusarium wilt: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=685 @The_RHS Learn more from @GOESbyJuniper and how Fusarium can be carried around the world! @bug_beastie
3. What plant pathogen accounts for 70% of all fungicide applications in Europe? Learn more with @luca_steel about the Septoria Leaf Blotch (Zymoseptoria tritici)! Read more: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087184515000705?via%3Dihub
3. Ash Dieback has been in the news lately so let's have a closer look and learn more from @beth_browner about this fungus! It's predicted to cost £15 billion to British society: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/tree-pests-and-diseases/key-tree-pests-and-diseases/ash-dieback/ @WoodlandTrust
4. Whilst travelling around the world has been disrupted, please note that you can easily transfer plant pests and diseases! Follow @bug_beastie and see how easily a little bug can travel around the world and cause trouble: https://beastiebug.eppo.int/ @iyph2020 @EPPOnews
5. What pest is called 'dusty-winged' and 'lost fruit'?
Learn about the infamous Fall Army Worm with @SimsCassie!
Read more:
6. Next, let's look at a bacterium which can decimate orchards: Fire Blight!
Learn more from @GOESbyJuniper's infographic and read more: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1011254217275
7. Have you come across necrotic spots on your it on brassicas or cucurbits in your garden? This Alternaria fungus might be behind those symptoms
- Review: https://bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1364-3703.2003.00173.x @Team_Thomma @BSPPjournals
8. You might have read about the devastating locust swarms in Eastern Africa lately - learn more about them with @GOESbyJuniper!
Learn more about @FAOemergencies:
- @NatGeo: https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment-and-conservation/2020/05/gigantic-new-locust-swarms-hit-east-africa
9. Have you heard of the Rust gods? There were Roman festivals to make sacrifices in order to protect people's cereal crops due to Puccinia graminis!
Read more in @BSPPjournals: https://bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1364-3703.2005.00273.x
10. Oh dear, we have only covered pests, bacteria and fungi... So here's a virus!
Learn about Cucumber Mosaic Virus which has the widest host range of any known plant virus!
Learn how to control it: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=143 @The_RHS
11. We are still missing an important plant disease... PHYTOPLASMA! Learn about a phytoplasma which causes the Cassava frogskin disease with @GOESbyJuniper! Did you know cassava is the 4th major crop in the world? Read more: http://ciat-library.ciat.cgiar.org/Articulos_Ciat/cassava_in_third_millennium_1.pdf
12. At last but not least, have you ever seen an unhappy plant covered by white powder? It is likely it was covered by Powdery Mildew!
These microscopic fungi can be invaded by another fungus: https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/full/10.1094/PHYTO-01-19-0013-R from @plantdisease
We really hope you enjoyed the infographics and now, you will be able to spot plant diseases and pests around your house, garden or nearby park!
Please consider joining the Society of Chemical Industry (e-membership is only £10/year!) where we have a very active Agri-Food Hub. Stay safe and please do get in touch and let us know what you thought of our infographics! :)