Climate Change Is Affecting Plant Health

Climate Change Affecting Plant Health Hüseyin Basım, Head of Phytopathology at the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture at Akdeniz University, stated that climate change is affecting plant health and causing various diseases. Plants differ from other organisms due to their biological structure, Basım noted, adding that diseases destroy healthy tissues in plants and treatment is not possible. Stating that disease incidence is increasing in the current situation, Basım said, "As carbon emissions and carbon dioxide increase, plants utilize more carbon dioxide and biomass, which we call green matter, increases. A one-degree rise in temperature causes a 7 percent increase in precipitation." Noting that recent rainfall has increased soil moisture, Basım explained, "Both the diversity of microorganisms in the soil increasing and changes in their population also affect plants. As biomass increases, leaf diseases, green matter diseases, fruit diseases and other disease agents increase and show variation in plants."

"New diseases may emerge"

Basım stated that as the impact of climate change increases, methods of combating these diseases must also change. "New strategies need to be determined because unexpected new diseases may emerge. For example, if insect vectors increase, viral diseases may rise. We may also see an increase in leaf diseases. Last year there was Downy Mildew disease in vineyard vines. Powdery mildew in vineyards was also very prevalent. Diseases caused yield losses in many places because humidity was very high. When humidity is excessive during these periods, especially in greenhouses, we can see increased disease incidence."

Basım continued:

"Controlling insect vectors is of great importance in preventing disease spread. Once the plant is infected, we have no way to treat it. Before starting production, especially in greenhouses and soils, solarization, a disinfection method, should be applied to eliminate all harmful microorganisms from that soil. Six weeks of solarization can eliminate all harmful microorganisms and weed seeds in the soil. It can contribute to the development of beneficial bacteria for plant health."

"Biological products must be rapidly developed"

Basım said that in regions with high light and drought, alongside biotechnological methods and breeding methods, the use of plants resistant to drought and disease is important. Pointing to the importance of plant protection products, Basım said, "Biological products containing microorganisms that will replace chemical agricultural pesticides need to be rapidly developed. By 2030, 50 percent of pesticides and 20 percent of inorganic fertilizers will be banned. Twenty-five percent of European soil will convert to organic farming. In a situation where 50 percent of yours is banned, you need to fill that gap with other biological products. We also don't have much time. We need to act quickly to address this shortage." He expressed this view. Touching on existing market products, Basım said, "There are some bioinsecticides on the market, but their numbers are limited. Products are available for insects and diseases. Studies are being conducted in our country to increase these, but both new ones and existing ones need to be developed in a short time. Effective biological products that can be used for different diseases are needed. Unlike chemical drugs, these products need to be developed specifically for microorganisms." He explained. Source