Cultural Approaches for Plant Disease Management

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Cultural practices (CPs) can be harnessed for the management of soil and foliar-borne diseases by creating an environment which is favorable for the host and unfavorable for the pathogen. Most cultural practices used to control plant disease are preventive in nature. There are three categories of cultural practices: (a) CP, which is usually applied for agricultural purposes not related to crop protection, such as fertilization and irrigation, (b) CPs, which are used solely for disease control, e.g., sanitation; (c) CPs, which can be used for both agricultural purposes and disease control, e.g., crop rotation. The basic principles of CP for disease control are (a) any potential control method may be considered, providing that it is environmentally, technologically and economically feasible; (b) pesticide usage is minimized by combining with other non-chemical or chemical methods; (c) diseases that are difficult to control or that involve problematic pesticides should be prioritized; and (d) economic aspects are taken into consideration. CP for disease control can be used before, at or after planting. They include crop rotation, flooding, fallow, deep ploughing, soil solarization – which involves a combination of physical and biological processes – adjusting planting dates, fertilization. compost, irrigation, weed control, sanitation, tillage and others.

Keywords: Cultural practices, disease control, crop rotation, soil management