Warmer Temperatures: Rising temperatures speed up pathogen life cycles and reproduction rates, leading to more severe outbreaks. Pathogens and their vectors are moving into new regions, bringing diseases previously confined to tropical zones into temperate areas. This shift threatens crops that haven’t developed resistance to these “new” diseases.

Altered Precipitation Patterns: Changes in rainfall, including more frequent downpours and droughts, significantly affect plant diseases. Excessive moisture creates ideal conditions for fungal and bacterial diseases, like root rot and leaf spots, to thrive. On the other hand, drought stress weakens plants.

Extreme Weather: Increased frequency of extreme weather events like storms, floods, and heatwaves stress plants, making them less capable of resisting infections. Floods can spread pathogens to new areas, while heatwaves can weaken plant defenses, leading to higher disease incidence and severity.

Understanding these changes is crucial for protecting crops and ensuring food security. By studying the interactions between climate variables and pathogen biology, we can develop strategies to minimize fruit loss.