Doomsday bugs in plant world?

[mensplace]

Having just seen an excellent FRONTLINE segment re the many forms of virus, bacteria, etc.. that are cropping up in the medical world on a global basis, I was reminded of the Irish potato famine that took so many lives. Are there counterparts to the antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria and viruses in the plant world? Any known threats to agricultural crops that have already emerged? Many drug companies apparently have pulled out of antibiotic research due to the relatively low return on investment and costs of up to a billion dollars to launch new drugs. Is there any concern or planning for such in the realm of agricultural crops?

[saltmarsh]

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by saltmarsh

That's a type of Dobsonfly AKA flying hellgrammite.
An aquatic critter in its larval state.
In the spring/summer they crawl out of the water in droves to mate and lay eggs.

Make great fish bait.

Worth

[mensplace]

I should have stressed bacteria, viruses and other soil, air, and water borne agents of the types like those that cause infections and diseases in humans, but in reference to plants and agriculture that if like many of the newer resistant strains just don't respond to antibiotics or conventional treatment. Are there plant disease agents that are also growing stronger, even from the DNA level, and able to spread and mutate rapidly?

[ChrisK]

Absolutely! Pathogens and plants have been coevolving for eons together. It's often called an arms race! The genes that confer pathogen virulence are often rapidly evolving. There are new threats emerging all the time e.g. new races of P. infestans.

Another good example is fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora. Streptomycin used to be very effective now it's not nearly so.

Originally Posted by mensplace

I should have stressed bacteria, viruses and other soil, air, and water borne agents of the types like those that cause infections and diseases in humans, but in reference to plants and agriculture that if like many of the newer resistant strains just don't respond to antibiotics or conventional treatment. Are there plant disease agents that are also growing stronger, even from the DNA level, and able to spread and mutate rapidly?

[Cole_Robbie]

The brown stink bug, an invasive species, is wreaking havoc right now in North America.

[AlittleSalt]

Harlequin Bugs are black stink bugs that look very colorful. They feed on crucifers like turnips, cabbage, radish, etc. If crucifers aren't available - they eat on tomatoes and just about all other vege plants.

Squash bugs cause a whole lot of damage as well.

Oops, just saw your post. I was writing this before I saw it.

[mensplace]

I have seen MRSA repeatedly in hospitals, but some of today's infections make that look like nothing by comparison. The paradox is that now that we need cures to the resistant varieties, the bottom line issues of business are causing drug manufacturers to avoid development. Then I wondered, since many of these come from soil, water, and air, what would happen if such organisms exist that would impact world agriculture? Are there plant diseases on the horizon that don't respond to available treatments?

[KarenO]

I'm normally OK with bugs. the exceptions being large crispy ones like grasshoppers, roaches and that thing. jeepers.
Oh Canada, the true north strong and reasonably bug free. yes it's cold but cold can be good, because it kills all such nasties as that. ugh.
And yes, there are resistant diseases in crops which is why maintaining the genetic diversity and seed banking is important.
KO

[Worth1]

Well there are diseases out there that some plants in the US cant handle.
I can think of one that almost wiped out the chestnut trees here in the US.
Then there is dutch elm disease.
Both came from Asia.
Also there is the leaf scorch on oleander caused by Xylella fastidiosa.
This nasty (bug) is a bacteria spread by the glassy winged sharpshooter.
It has made it here to Texas and has wiped out a lot of the oleander it also effects many other plants including grapes citrus and peaches.
Once you have it there is nothing you can do.
I lost 9 oleanders to it.
It had been years since I saw this bug and one year it rained a lot here and I saw them on my oleander.
Then a while later the leaves looked like the were not getting watered but the plants were getting plenty of water.
So I looked up oleander problems or something.
There it was it all came together the bug the disease and no cure.
Here is what leaf scorch looks like.
I have been seeing a lot of it lately.
Worth

[ChrisK]

Citrus greening is going to wipe out the Florida orange industry within a matter of years if it's not controlled.

Originally Posted by Worth1

Well there are diseases out there that some plants in the US cant handle.
I can think of one that almost wiped out the chestnut trees here in the US.
Then there is dutch elm disease.
Both came from Asia.
Also there is the leaf scorch on oleander caused by Xylella fastidiosa.
This nasty (bug) is a bacteria spread by the glassy winged sharpshooter.
It has made it here to Texas and has wiped out a lot of the oleander it also effects many other plants including grapes citrus and peaches.
Once you have it there is nothing you can do.
I lost 9 oleanders to it.
It had been years since I saw this bug and one year it rained a lot here and I saw them on my oleander.
Then a while later the leaves looked like the were not getting watered but the plants were getting plenty of water.
So I looked up oleander problems or something.
There it was it all came together the bug the disease and no cure.
Here is what leaf scorch looks like.
I have been seeing a lot of it lately.
Worth

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

Citrus greening is going to wipe out the Florida orange industry within a matter of years if it's not controlled.

Unless they can get rid of yet another foreign bug ( Citrus Psyllid )
There is no hope.
Worth

[mensplace]

I was just curious, especially if there were anything that could have the impact of the potato famine. Already being familiar with all that hospitals see and with recent events at the CDC and Emory, and then seeing the FRONTLINE show on current resistant germs and viruses, I just wondered if we were considering agricultural and food supply threats. With such a short event horizon as the potato famine and poisoned rye crops of the middle ages , any rapid spread situation would certainly not offer time for seed bank replacement . If plant micro-organisms are cropping up or mutating in the plant world as in the human population, I hope somebody is looking for immediate solutions.

[ChrisK]

Yes, in fact, I'll be attending a conference next week with a couple thousand other scientists that get up and think about this every single day.

Originally Posted by mensplace

I just wondered if we were considering agricultural and food supply threats.

[mensplace]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

Yes, in fact, I'll be attending a conference next week with a couple thousand other scientists that get up and think about this every single day.

Excellent! ...and reassuring