Challenges and Opportunities for Management of Crop and Tree Diseases in Northern Ireland

Phytopathogens have beleaguered the island of Ireland since the 19th century great famine caused by the potato blight oomycete, Phytophthora infestans and in recent times by cohorts of serious bacterial wilt diseases such as Erwinia, Dickeya, Ralstonia, and fungal wilt diseases predominantly caused by saprophyte fungi (e.g. Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium, Rhizoctonia) have all shown their growing resistance to various conventional chemical control agents, and create enormous impact on sustainable agriculture, further exacerbated by global climate change pressures.