Question

Which disease greatly stimulated interest in the cause and control of plant disease?

• A. Downy mildew of grapevine
• B. Early blight of potato
• C. Late blight of potato
• D. Wheat rust disease

Hint:

Late blight of potato:
- Caused by Phytophthora infestans (oomycete).
- Irish Potato Famine (1845-1852).
- Led to the development of plant pathology as a discipline.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
This question tests knowledge of the history of plant pathology and the disease that led to major advances in the field.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The Late blight of potato (C), caused by Phytophthora infestans, greatly stimulated interest in the cause and control of plant diseases.
The Irish Potato Famine (1845-1852) caused by this disease led to:
- The development of plant pathology as a scientific discipline.
- The discovery of the role of fungi in plant diseases.
- The development of fungicides (Bordeaux mixture).
Other diseases:
- Downy mildew of grapevine (A): Led to the discovery of Bordeaux mixture, but not as impactful as late blight.
- Early blight of potato (B): Caused by Alternaria solani, but not historically as significant.
- Wheat rust disease (D): Important but did not stimulate interest to the same extent.
Thus, late blight of potato greatly stimulated interest in plant disease research.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Thus, the disease that greatly stimulated interest in plant disease research is late blight of potato, which corresponds to option (C).
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