Plant diseases have existed since the dawn of human existence. Christian scholars know that the book of Exodus refers to locust plagues in Egypt, while Theophrastus (371-286 B.C.), considered the 'father of botany',studied and explained the consequences of plant pests.Throughout history, pests and diseases have repeatedly wreaked havoc. By 1884, one million hectares of French vineyards had been destroyed due to the outbreak of a tiny yellow aphid, the dry-leaf devastator (Phylloxera vastatrix) that multiplied astonishingly. Church bells were rung in alarm as French wine was nearly lost forever until a series of grafting programmes eventually eliminated the dreaded pest.
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