Discussions on Plant Illness
- Received Date: 10/03/2023
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Key words:
- plant illness /
- plant diseases /
- etiological view /
- disease classification /
- illness prevention /
- disease control
Abstract: Like humans and animals, plants have health and disease or illness states during their growth and development, which are basic characteristics of life. There has been a clear definition of human diseases, but the understanding of plant illness is only limited to diseases caused by pathogen infection. In particularly, the concept, connotation, and extension of plant illness are not clear, which directly affect the identification, prediction, prevention, and control of plant diseases. Under the theoretical framework of Phytomedicine, this article systematically expounds the concept, classification, and etiology of plant diseases and plant illness, compares and analyzes the four models of plant etiology, proposes a classification system for plant illness, and clarifies that plant illness refers to the phenomenon which plants gradually exhibit morbidity under the influence of a certain etiology through a complex process. This article also proposes new ideas for plant illness control, calling for the formation of a more complete classification and control system for plant illness from a medical perspective to, integrate the ideas of prevention and treatment of illness into health care, prevention and control of plant diseases, in order to better serve the development of Phytomedicine and the progress of human society.