Education in Plant Pathology Present Status and Future Challenges

Plant pathology is largely a mission driven discipline that seeks to increase the fundamental understanding of host–pathogen interactions and the etiology of plant diseases for the purpose of preventing or mitigating crop loss. This is an important mission because all nations face serious challenges in their efforts to prevent disease on plants cultivated for food, fiber, ornamental use, timber, and fuel, as well as those growing in native ecosystems. In 1994, it was estimated that global losses due to plant diseases ranged from 9.7 to 14.2% of potential yield (12)