What are the two categories of plant disease causes?

What are the two categories of plant disease causes?

• A. Abiotic (nonparasitic) and biotic (parasitic).
• B. Abiotic only.
• C. Biotic only.
• D. Fungi and bacteria.

Answer: (A)

Diseases in plants come from two broad kinds of causes: abiotic and biotic. Abiotic is nonliving and includes environmental stresses or chemical injuries, such as drought, frost, salinity, improper pH, nutrient imbalances, or herbicide damage. Biotic refers to living organisms that cause disease, like fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, or parasitic plants. The best answer is the one that names both categories because it covers all possible disease causes. Saying abiotic only or biotic only leaves out half of the possibilities, and naming fungi and bacteria focuses on specific biotic agents rather than the two overarching categories.

Diseases in plants come from two broad kinds of causes: abiotic and biotic. Abiotic is nonliving and includes environmental stresses or chemical injuries, such as drought, frost, salinity, improper pH, nutrient imbalances, or herbicide damage. Biotic refers to living organisms that cause disease, like fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, or parasitic plants. The best answer is the one that names both categories because it covers all possible disease causes. Saying abiotic only or biotic only leaves out half of the possibilities, and naming fungi and bacteria focuses on specific biotic agents rather than the two overarching categories.