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PCA - PLANT PATHOGENS EXAM 2025
ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
Plant Disease Definition -correct-answer-Abnormal physiological processes caused
| | | | | |
by a causal pathogen
| | | |
Economic significance of plant diseases -correct-answer-Losses of yield, crops,
| | | | | | | |
inputs, land
| |
Pathogen -correct-answer-Causal agent of disease
| | | |
Signs of disease -correct-answer-Structures of the pathogen
| | | | | |
Symptoms of disease -correct-answer-Plant response to pathogen infection
| | | | | | |
Abiotic factors of plant disease -correct-answer-Air pollution, temperature,
| | | | | | |
nutrients
|
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Biotic factors of plant disease -correct-answer-Living organisms (fungi, bacteria,
| | | | | | | |
viruses)
|
Obligate parasite -correct-answer-unable to grow outside of a living host
| | | | | | | | |
Facultative saprophyte -correct-answer-prefers living organic matter as a source of
| | | | | | | | |
nutrition but can adapt to the use of dead organic matter under certain conditions
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Facultative parasite -correct-answer-A pathogen that prefers dead inorganic
| | | | | | |
material, but can also obtain nourishment from living organic material
| | | | | | | | | |
Biotroph -correct-answer-Any parasite that cannot survive in a dead host and
| | | | | | | | | |
therefore keeps it alive
| | | |
Necrotroph -correct-answer-Parasite that kills host cells
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Koch's Postulates -correct-answer-series of guidelines used to identify the
| | | | | | | |
microorganism that causes a specific disease
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Three components of disease triangle -correct-answer-Causal agent, environment,
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host
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Role of each component of disease triangle -correct-answer-All three must be
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present for disease to occur. Environment must favor causal agent. Host must
| | | | | | | | | | | |
favor causal agent.
| | |
How humans impact each component of disease triangle -correct-answer-
| | | | | | | |
Manipulate the environment, host-plant resistance,
| | | | |
preventative/suppressive/erradicative pesticides |
Impact of epidemic when one component of disease triangle does not come into
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|contact with the other two components -correct-answer-Slows epidemic to a halt.
| | | | | | | | | |
|Disease spread needs all three components interacting
| | | | | |
Management strategy to break environment component -correct-answer-Alter
| | | | | |
planting dates, remove alternative hosts, alter harvest
| | | | | | |
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Management strategy to break host component -correct-answer-Alternate crop,
| | | | | | |
host-plant resistance
| |
Management strategy to break causal agent component -correct-answer-Pesticide
| | | | | | |
applications
|
How can knowledge of plant disease triangle be used in diagnosis? -correct-
| | | | | | | | | | |
answer-Can rule out different pathogens based on host and environment.
| | | | | | | | | |
Epidemiology -correct-answer-Branch of medical science concerned with the
| | | | | | |
incidence, distribution, and control of diseases that affect large numbers of
| | | | | | | | | | |
people.
|
Environmental factors that affect epidemics -correct-answer-Temperature,
| | | | |
humidity, moisture, soil pH, nutrient availability, air movement
| | | | | | | |
Importance of time in the development of an epidemic -correct-answer-Epidemics
| | | | | | | | |
|develop very quickly if conditions are favorable. It is critical to reduce the rate of
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|infection during susceptible life stages of the plant
| | | | | | |
|e
PCA - PLANT PATHOGENS EXAM 2025
ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
Plant Disease Definition -correct-answer-Abnormal physiological processes caused
| | | | | |
by a causal pathogen
| | | |
Economic significance of plant diseases -correct-answer-Losses of yield, crops,
| | | | | | | |
inputs, land
| |
Pathogen -correct-answer-Causal agent of disease
| | | |
Signs of disease -correct-answer-Structures of the pathogen
| | | | | |
Symptoms of disease -correct-answer-Plant response to pathogen infection
| | | | | | |
Abiotic factors of plant disease -correct-answer-Air pollution, temperature,
| | | | | | |
nutrients
|
,2 || |P |a |g
|e
Biotic factors of plant disease -correct-answer-Living organisms (fungi, bacteria,
| | | | | | | |
viruses)
|
Obligate parasite -correct-answer-unable to grow outside of a living host
| | | | | | | | |
Facultative saprophyte -correct-answer-prefers living organic matter as a source of
| | | | | | | | |
nutrition but can adapt to the use of dead organic matter under certain conditions
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Facultative parasite -correct-answer-A pathogen that prefers dead inorganic
| | | | | | |
material, but can also obtain nourishment from living organic material
| | | | | | | | | |
Biotroph -correct-answer-Any parasite that cannot survive in a dead host and
| | | | | | | | | |
therefore keeps it alive
| | | |
Necrotroph -correct-answer-Parasite that kills host cells
| | | | |
Koch's Postulates -correct-answer-series of guidelines used to identify the
| | | | | | | |
microorganism that causes a specific disease
| | | | | |
,3 || |P |a |g
|e
Three components of disease triangle -correct-answer-Causal agent, environment,
| | | | | | |
host
|
Role of each component of disease triangle -correct-answer-All three must be
| | | | | | | | | |
present for disease to occur. Environment must favor causal agent. Host must
| | | | | | | | | | | |
favor causal agent.
| | |
How humans impact each component of disease triangle -correct-answer-
| | | | | | | |
Manipulate the environment, host-plant resistance,
| | | | |
preventative/suppressive/erradicative pesticides |
Impact of epidemic when one component of disease triangle does not come into
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|contact with the other two components -correct-answer-Slows epidemic to a halt.
| | | | | | | | | |
|Disease spread needs all three components interacting
| | | | | |
Management strategy to break environment component -correct-answer-Alter
| | | | | |
planting dates, remove alternative hosts, alter harvest
| | | | | | |
, 4 || |P |a |g
|e
Management strategy to break host component -correct-answer-Alternate crop,
| | | | | | |
host-plant resistance
| |
Management strategy to break causal agent component -correct-answer-Pesticide
| | | | | | |
applications
|
How can knowledge of plant disease triangle be used in diagnosis? -correct-
| | | | | | | | | | |
answer-Can rule out different pathogens based on host and environment.
| | | | | | | | | |
Epidemiology -correct-answer-Branch of medical science concerned with the
| | | | | | |
incidence, distribution, and control of diseases that affect large numbers of
| | | | | | | | | | |
people.
|
Environmental factors that affect epidemics -correct-answer-Temperature,
| | | | |
humidity, moisture, soil pH, nutrient availability, air movement
| | | | | | | |
Importance of time in the development of an epidemic -correct-answer-Epidemics
| | | | | | | | |
|develop very quickly if conditions are favorable. It is critical to reduce the rate of
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|infection during susceptible life stages of the plant
| | | | | | |
