“Food safety will be adversely affected by the spread of plant diseases.”

a. Do you agree with this statement? Why?

b. Give two examples of plant diseases.

a. Yes, I agree with this statement as the main source of our food is from the plant. If diseases occur in plants then it will obviously affect the food that we get from plants. For example, if a pathogen attacks rice plant, then we cannot get good quality rice. We will get poor quality, diseased rice. On consuming this rice there may be a chance of diseases in human, animals etc. So these foods are not safe to consume. Thus, the spread of diseases in plants will affect the safety of foods adversely.

b. Two examples of plant diseases are Blight disease of paddy which is caused by bacteria and Bud rot of coconut caused by fungi.

In blight disease of paddy, leaves turn yellow to straw coloured, seedlings dried up and died. In bud rot of coconut terminal bud along with surrounding tissues rot emitting foul smell.