Question

Which one of the following disease has been successfully controlled by using the principle of eradication?

• A. Red rot of sugarcane
• B. Citrus canker
• C. Late blight of potato
• D. Wilt of sugarcane

Hint:

Eradication campaigns are most effective against newly introduced, highly contagious bacterial or viral pathogens.
Citrus canker is the standard reference case in plant quarantine and regulatory eradication success.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

In plant disease management, "eradication" is the principle aimed at complete elimination, destruction, or inactivation of a pathogen after it has been introduced into an area but before it becomes widely established.
This strategy is highly demanding and is typically reserved for aggressive quarantine pathogens that threaten valuable agricultural industries.
Eradication often involves the destruction of all infected and surrounding host plants to break the pathogen's life cycle.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Citrus canker, caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, is a highly contagious disease affecting citrus species.
It causes unsightly necrotic lesions on leaves, twigs, and fruits, resulting in severe defoliation, twig dieback, and premature fruit drop.
The disease is spread rapidly by wind-blown rain and contaminated tools.
In several countries where citrus canker was introduced (such as parts of the United States and Australia), strict regulatory eradication programs were launched to protect the commercial citrus industry.
These programs mandated the mapping of infected areas, quarantine restrictions, and the physical uprooting and burning of millions of both infected and healthy-looking citrus trees within a specified radius (e.g., a 1900-foot buffer zone) of any detected infection.
This approach successfully eradicated the bacterial pathogen from several commercial zones, demonstrating the practical application of the eradication principle.
Let us analyze why the other options are incorrect:
- Red rot of sugarcane (Colletotrichum falcatum), Late blight of potato (Phytophthora infestans), and Wilt of sugarcane (Fusarium sacchari) are highly endemic, soil-borne, or wind-borne pathogens that are too widely established.
These diseases are managed through host plant resistance, seed certification, sanitation, and chemical treatments, rather than complete regional eradication programs.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The disease that has been successfully controlled in various regions by applying the principle of eradication is Citrus canker.