Fungus Fighters Quiz Quiz

Challenge your understanding of fungal disease management strategies and prevention methods in agriculture with these practical scenarios and concepts. Perfect for anyone interested in recognizing and controlling plant fungal threats effectively.

1. Disease Identification

   A tomato farmer notices irregular brown spots with yellow halos on her plant leaves. Which fungal disease is most likely responsible?

   1. Bacterial wilt
   2. Downy mildew
   3. Early blight
   4. Mosaic virus

   Explanation: Early blight, caused by Alternaria species, commonly presents as brown spots with yellow halos on tomato leaves. Downy mildew typically causes pale patches and white fuzz, not spotted halos. Bacterial wilt and mosaic virus have different symptom patterns, such as wilting and mottled leaf coloration, not spotted lesions.

2. Crop Rotation

   How does practicing crop rotation help control soil-borne fungal diseases in agriculture?

   1. It directly kills fungal spores in the soil.
   2. It interrupts the life cycle of specific fungi.
   3. It increases the prevalence of all plant diseases.
   4. It ensures continuous host availability for pathogens.

   Explanation: Rotating crops breaks the life cycle of host-specific soil-borne fungi by depriving them of their preferred host plants. Increasing disease prevalence and ensuring continuous hosts do the opposite, worsening disease risk. Crop rotation does not directly kill spores but reduces their buildup over time.

3. Fungicide Use

   Which principle is best observed when using fungicides to prevent resistance development in fungal populations?

   1. Always using the cheapest product available
   2. Applying higher doses than recommended
   3. Treating only after severe symptoms appear
   4. Alternating fungicides with different modes of action

   Explanation: Using fungicides with different active ingredients and modes of action reduces the risk of fungal resistance. Using cheaper products or high doses may be ineffective or harmful. Treating only after severe symptoms often allows diseases to spread too far before control measures are attempted.

4. Environmental Control

   What effect does lowering humidity in a greenhouse most likely have on powdery mildew outbreaks in cucumbers?

   1. Has no effect on fungal diseases
   2. Reduces powdery mildew incidence
   3. Increases powdery mildew severity
   4. Directly fertilizes the cucumber plants

   Explanation: Powdery mildew thrives in humid conditions, so lowering humidity can reduce its occurrence. High humidity generally promotes fungal growth, not reduces it. Humidity control does not fertilize plants, and changes in humidity can have significant effects on fungal disease outcomes.

5. Biological Control

   Which method involves introducing beneficial organisms to manage fungal diseases in crops?

   1. Flood irrigation
   2. Solarization
   3. Mechanical weeding
   4. Biological control

   Explanation: Biological control is the use of beneficial living organisms to suppress plant pathogens. Solarization is a soil treatment method using heat, while flood irrigation and mechanical weeding manage water or weeds, not fungal disease directly via beneficial organisms.