noun
- Organisms, such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, or nematodes, that cause disease in plants.
Usage: plural form; used in botany, plant pathology, and agriculture; technical/scientific term
Examples
- Farmers must identify phytopathogens early to prevent crop loss.
- The research team studied how phytopathogens spread through the wheat field.
- Fungal phytopathogens are responsible for many common plant diseases.
- Controlling phytopathogens requires both chemical and biological methods.
- Climate change can increase the prevalence of certain phytopathogens in new regions.
- Scientists developed a test to detect multiple phytopathogens in soil samples.