Year | Crop | Disease | Region | Impact | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Symptoms of wheat blast CC BY-SA 4.0 | 2016-17 | Wheat | Wheat Blast | Bangladesh India | First emergence of wheat blast in Asia. Average disease losses of 30%. Total crop loss in some cases. |
Image: Institute of Plant Virology, Italy | 2014 | Olive | Xylella fastidosa | Southern Europe | Over 1 million trees infected, up to 40% rise in olive oil prices. Olive oil production in Tuscany reduced by half. |
MLN-Infected Maize CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 CIMMYT | 2011 | Maize | Maize lethal necrosis disease | East Africa | Disease widespread across maize growing areas. Estimated national losses of 10% per year. Individual losses up to 100%. |
CC BY-SA 2.0 by CIAT | 2012 | Coffee | Rust | Central America Caribbean | Over $1 billion in damage to coffee plants. Up to 500,000 job losses. Many farms lost over 75% of production. |
Photo: Jeff Ellis | 2010 | Wheat | Stripe rust | Asia North America | Epidemic causing 40% losses. |
CC BY 2.0 by USDAgov | 2010s | Citrus | Greening disease | Florida | Massive impact on Florida citurs industry with no good control methods available. Up to 75% of trees in southeast US infected. |
1999 | Wheat | Stem rust | East Africa Middle East | New race (Ug99) spreading throughout Africa and Middle East, threatening world supply. | |
Valencia citrus canker 1d CC BY-SA 2.0 Scot Nelson | 1990s-2000s | Citrus | Canker | Florida | Unsuccessful tree eradication program abandoned in 2006. |
Scot Nelson Papaya ringspot (PRSV) 9 CC BY-SA 2.0 | 1990s | Papaya | Ring spot virus | Hawaii | Nearly led to collapse of papaya industry. GM variety introduced widely credited with saving the industry. |
Scot Nelson Banana Panama wilt 2 CC BY-SA 2.0 | 1990s | Banana | Panama disease tropical race 4 | Southeast Asia | Currently threatening to wipe out the Cavendish banana. |
USDAgov Link (CC BY 2.0) | 1989 | Cacao | Witches' broom | Brazil | Losses up to 100%. Overall wiped out 75% of production. |
CC BY-SA 2.0 by CIAT | 1975 | Coffee | Rust | Central America South America | First report of growing outbreak that continues today. |
Eric McKenzie Pest and Disease Image Library, Australia CC BY 3.0 Link | 1970 | Corn | Southern corn leaf blight | USA | Scattered in 1968-69. Full scale epidemic in 1970 due to wide use of a single susceptible corn background. |
Bacterial leaf blight CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 by IRRI Images | 1960s | Rice | Bacterial leaf blight | Southeast Asia | Yield losses up to 80%. |
Donald Groth, Louisiana State University AgCenter CC BY 3.0, Link | 1942 | Rice | Brown spot disease | India | Factor in Great Bengal Famine. 2 million people died of starvation. |
1935, 1953 | Wheat | Stem rust | North America | Epidemics in Great Plains. Some states with >50% yield losses. | |
Scot Nelson Banana Panama wilt 2 CC BY-SA 2.0 | 1920 - 1950s | Banana | Panama disease | Central America South America | Gros Michel variety nearly wiped out. Led to adoption of the Cavendish variety resistant to Panama disease, but inferior in taste. |
1916 | Wheat | Stem rust | North America | Devastating epidemic controlled by eradication of alternate host, barberry. | |
Downy Mildew on 'Valiant' cultivar CC BY-SA 4.0 by David S. Jones, Patricia McManus | 1878 - 1885 | Grapes | Downy mildew | France | Spread throughout Europe with devastating impact on wine industry. Led to use of copper in Bordeaux mix, the first chemical widely used to protect plants. |
CC BY-SA 2.0 by CIAT | 1868 | Coffee | Rust | Sri Lanka | Wiped out coffee crop. Brits become tea drinkers. |
CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 by benmillett | 1840s | Potato | Late blight | Ireland | Major factor in Irish Potato Famine. 2.5 million people died or emigrated. |