Impact of climate change on plant diseases and IPM strategies

Abstract EN

There has been a remarkable scientific output on the topic of how climate change is likely to affect plant diseases.

Climate change will probably influence the occurrence, prevalence and severity of plant diseases.

Projected atmospheric and climate change will thus affect the interaction between crops and pathogens in multiple ways.

This will also affect disease management with regard to timing, preference and efficacy of chemical, physical and biological measures of control and their utilization within integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.

As prediction and management of climate change effects on plant health are complicated by indirect effects and the interactions with global change drivers.

There is a consensus that prediction and management of climate change effects on plant health are complicated by interactions between globalization, shifts in climate, pollution and increasing numbers of invasive plants, pests and pathogens.

Prediction of future requirements in disease management is of great interest for agro-industries, extension services and practical farmers.

A comprehensive analysis of potential climate-change effects on disease control is difficult because current knowledge is limited and fragmented and due to the complexity of future risks for plant disease management, particularly if new crops are introduced in an area.

Uncertainty in models of plant disease development under climate change calls for a diversity of management strategies, from more participatory approaches to interdisciplinary science.

Involvement of stakeholders and scientists from outside plant pathology shows the importance of trade-offs.

All these efforts and integrations will produce an effective crop protection strategies using novel technologies appropriate tools to adapt to altered climatic conditions.