Phytomedicine

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The Phytomedicine is the science of the disease and damage to the plants , their causes, symptoms, their history, their distribution as well as the measures and means for maintaining the health of the plants and the regulation of harmful causes. The German Phytomedical Society is the German association organization of phytomedicines .

Concept history

The term “phytomedicine” goes back to the members of the “Association of German Plant Doctors” (1928–1939), in particular Otto Appel . Otto Appel, referred to as the “organizer of German plant protection”, tried to summarize the terminological terms “phyto-medicine” or “plant medicine” at an early stage. He demanded that the training specialists must represent phyto-medicine “in line with human and veterinary medicine”.

"Just as one calls the doctor to sick people and sick animals", O. Appel described his view in 1923, "in the future it must be possible to consult the plant doctor when plant diseases occur, who is able to correctly assess the disease at hand and, as far as the most important and most frequent diseases are concerned, also be able to make arrangements that prevent a cure or further spread. It must ... also have a preventive effect, like in human medicine by means of hygiene measures ”.

Based on this, he brought this phytomedicine concept to its classic development during his many years as director of the “Biological Reichsanstalt für Agriculture and Forestry” from 1919 and thus actively shaped the history of science and institutions. The term “phytomedicine” is epistemologically thought of as a unity of phytopathology and plant protection or the sub-disciplines that constitute them. As their “unifying science”. Phytomedicine takes into account the specifics of an applied science in a way that is comparable to the terms “human medicine” and “veterinary medicine” in terms of the theory of science. The specificity consists in the inseparable unity of research results and practice. The coining of the term "phytomedicine" was a result of the "differentiation" of the "specialist field of phytopathology and plant protection", ie the division into many sub-disciplines since the end of the 19th century. As a result, the moment of the specific unity of theory and practice necessary for applied sciences initially lost more and more importance. This development led to the "demand for a summary and reorganization under a scientific guiding principle". Scientists from the Biological Reichsanstalt met the request. B. 1919 the entomologist and founder of the protection of stored products Fr. Zacher, 1923 O. Appel and 1937 the phytopathologist H. Braun. The historical merit of the above is to have understood the scientific-theoretical necessity of merging the differentiated areas of “phytopathology” and “plant protection” as an indispensable basis for the further development of their specialist field and to have contributed to their solution. The coining of the term “phytomedicine” was therefore an expression of a high degree of maturity in phytopathology that has now been reached. The discussion about the interdisciplinary field of phytomedicine is in constant flux to this day. The professional representation of the scientists formerly known as "plant doctors" and currently known as "phytomedicines" has been taken over by the Deutsche Phytomedizinische Gesellschaft eV for around 60 years

Core competencies in phytomedicine

Numerous scientific disciplines contribute to phytomedicine. Essential basic subjects are subjects such as botany , zoology , microbiology , ecology and soil science , the content of which is part of phytomedicine. Agricultural disciplines are grouped around them, which have gained particular weight in the context of phytomedical work and for which various contributions are made by phytomedicine. Subjects oriented towards special groups of pests complete the spectrum of core competencies in phytomedicine, e.g. B. Agricultural entomology (deals with animal pests, especially insects and spiders as well as their opponents, some of which also play a role in biological plant protection). Phytopathology includes agricultural mycology (fungal pathogens as the cause of plant diseases), agricultural bacteriology (bacterial pathogens), agricultural virology (viruses as pathogens on plants), agricultural nematology (roundworms as pathogens), agricultural malacology (snails as pathogens) ), agricultural vertebrate studies (rodents as pests) or agricultural herbology (weeds (arable wild plants) as competitors of cultivated plants).

The etiological , cause-oriented work led, on the one hand, to a strong increase in our knowledge of the various causes of damage, on the other hand, even simple relationships to the development of damage under production conditions remained unexplained. Nowadays, larger relationships are increasingly being investigated. Subjects have become particularly important for phytomedicine, which usually relate to several or all groups of pathogens and often include non-parasitic causes of damage. Attempts are made to focus attention on plants threatened by the causes of damage or already damaged. In contrast to human and veterinary medicine, the entire plant population is usually the target of protective measures in phytomedicine.

The importance of phytomedicine to the public, e.g. B. for food security or the security of renewable raw materials, is as big today as it was 100 years ago. Their scientific results and practical recommendations have a wide range of effects on the production, processing and consumption of plants. It is not uncommon for it to be part of the public discussion of current political issues that influence its objectives.

Interdisciplinary fields of interaction in phytomedicine

Phytomedicine combines the science of plant diseases (phytopathology) and plant damage with the practice of comprehensive plant protection. Phytomedicine is therefore of central importance for securing the nutritional basis of the population. It guarantees high-quality crop products in sufficient quantities. It creates the basis for adequate plant quarantine and safe trade in agricultural and horticultural products.

The core competencies of phytomedicine are integrated in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary fields of interaction, which include the economic as well as the ecological and social concerns of crop production (consumer protection, occupational safety, environmental protection, product quality) and thus the sustainable development of crop production systems in the sense of increased production quality in the socio-economic and ecological landscape Driving context with support from communication and advice. For phytomedical reasons, for example, it can also make sense to speak out in favor of deficit irrigation . (See also: Institute for Phytomedicine (Hohenheim) ).

Causes of disease and pathogens in crops

Disease development and course of infestation

The development of the disease and the course of the disease are described under the following aspects:

  • Characteristics of infection and pest infestation,
  • Influence of environmental factors on pests,
  • Effects of the infestation on the host,
  • Defense mechanisms of the plant.

Population ecology of harmful organisms

The population ecology of harmful organisms deals with the structure, change and interaction of the population of a species with other populations and with the environment. It records the structure and dynamics of populations, their age composition, their growth and their development under the influence of the biotic and abiotic influencing variables of the ecosystem. Taking into account genetic aspects or aspects of island biogeography leads to population biology. The are of particular importance for the regulation of harmful organisms

  • Population dynamics,
  • Dispersion dynamics,
  • Annidation and ecological displacement,
  • Ecological isolation and type formation,
  • Release of organisms.

Symptoms of disease and damage to crops

The following are important for describing diseases and damage to crops:

  • Symptomatology,
  • Occurs in the course of plant development.

Plant protection measures

  • Plant quarantine such as for quarantine pathogens
  • Cultural measures
  • Physical measures
  • Biotechnical measures
  • Biological measures
  • Chemical measures
  • Integration of plant protection measures

literature

  • Günter M. Hoffmann, Franz Nienhaus, Hans-Michael Pöhling: Textbook of Phytomedicine. Blackwell Wissenschafts-Verlag, 1994. ISBN 3-8263-3008-0
  • Horst Börner: Plant diseases and plant protection. 8., rework. and act. Ed., Springer 2009. ISBN 978-3-540-49067-8
  • Rudolf Heitefuß : Plant protection, basics of practical phytomedicine. 3rd edition, 2000, Thieme Verlag, ISBN 3-13-513303-6
  • H. Borner: Plant diseases and plant protection. 7th edition, UTB, 1997
  • J. Hallmann, A. Quadt-Hallmann, A. von Tiedemann: Phytomedicine. Basic knowledge Bachelor. 2007, Ulmer, Stuttgart, UTB
  • R. Heitefuss: Plant protection. Basics of practical phytomedicine. 3rd edition, 2000, Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart.
  • GM Hoffmann, F. Nienhaus, HM Poehling, F. Schönbeck, HC Weltzien, H. Wilbert: Textbook of Phytomedicine. Edition 1994, Blackwell Verlag, Berlin.
  • E. Schlösser: General phytopathology. 2nd edition, Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Website of the German Phytomedical Society eV
  2. ^ Aust et al .: Glossary of phytomedical terms. 3rd edition. Ulmer. Stuttgart 2005.
  3. ↑ a b O. Appel: Plant protection in class. In: TAC Schoevers: Report of the International Conference of Phytopathology and economic Entomology. Wageningen 1923.
  4. ↑ Ulrich Sucker: Beginnings of modern phytomedicine. Communications from the Federal Biological Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry, 334. Berlin 1998.
  5. ↑ cf. F. Feldmann: The composition of the members of the DPG. In: Phytomedicine. 34 (3), 2004, pp. 41-46.
  6. ↑ E. Mühle: Phytomedicine and plant protection. In: The plant doctor. 20, 1967, pp. 115-118.
  7. ↑ R. Stichweh: Differentiation of science: an analysis using the German example. Bielefeld 1982, science research 8.
  8. ^ A b G. Staar, E. Reinmuth: Phytopathology and Plant Protection - Phytomedicine. In: M. Klinkowski (ed.): Basics and general problems of phytopathology and plant protection. 2nd ed. Vol. 1, 1974, pp. 3-5.
  9. ^ Friedrich Großmann : The concept of phytomedicine. In: Indian Phytopathology. 24, 1971, pp. 247-257.
  10. ^ F. Feldmann: The composition of the members of the DPG. In: Phytomedicine. 34 (3), 2004.