PAPER

1. Abstract
Plantpathologistswere earliesttorealize the role of environmentindisease developmentandits
subsequentimpactonhost-microbe interaction.
Climate change isan expectedphenomenon,however,itsimpactonlife,environmentanddifferent
sectorsof economiessuchasagriculture couldbe unexpected.Agriculture sectorismore prone to
climate change bothdirectlyaswell indirectlysuchasnew emergenceof pestanddiseasesinchanging
climate.
Introduction
Climate change isan expectedphenomenon,itsimpactonlife,environmentanddifferentsectorsof
economiessuchasagriculture couldbe unexpected. (NASA,2018). The situationwouldbe worstason
average 1.8 millionautomobilesare enteringinPakistani marketwhichresultmore release of CO2and
rise of temperature.The recentsurge incarbonlevel cause increase averagetemperature of earthto
1.1°C (Zhuetal.,2016). It isa tailor-made situationforepidemicstooccur as rise intemperature
accelerate pathogenevolutionandshortenthe incubationtime. ChinaPakistanEconomicCorridor
(CPEC) isan economicgame changerbut itcouldleadto entryof invasive pathogenspeciesinPakistan
Smogis anotherupcomingchallengewhichcouldleadtomanydiseasesespeciallyviral diseasesdue
more activityof vectors (Sinhaetal.,2015). Continuousclimate andpestmonitoringisneededto
developefficientdisease warningsystemforgrowersandotheragriculture relatedagenciestoavoid
future plantepidemics.
Plantpathologistswere earliesttorealize the role of environmentindisease developmentandits
subsequentimpactonhost-microbe interaction. UnderdevelopedcountrylikePakistanwhose economy
ismajorlyisagricultural basedandconsidered7thmostvulnerable countrytoclimate change;awell-
versedapproachneededtoavertfuture plantdiseasebuildup. (Campbell andMadden,1990; Van
Maanen andXu, 2003). Reportedfungi causingpre-harvestbutpost-harvestdiseasesinfield,
horticultural andinplantsof insignificanteconomic importance suchasDracaenamarginata,Yellow
oleander,Chenopodiumalbum,Calotropisgigantean,RumexdentatusandSonchusoleraceus. These
plantscouldserve asalternate hostand postseriousthreattocrop productioninfuture. The overall
picture emergedbyunravelingof publisheddataisthat new diseasesappearoneverytype of crops.
(Sicilianoetal.,2017).The worrisome partitpickspace in2015-17 where 11 new pathogenspecieshave
beenreportedinPakistanbydifferentauthors. Overview of new diseasesreportedfromPakistan(2005-
17) a) Total numberof differentkindof pathogensb) Yearlydataof new diseasesondifferenttype of
crops. Otherwise,plantepidemicscouldpose aseriousthreattonational foodsecuritywhichwill
ultimatelyaffectthe fragile socialfabricof country,aswell asotherresearchers believethatboomin
automobile sectorandlossof treesdue tourbanizationisactual reasonof smog inPakistanwhichnot
onlythreateningpublichealth,roadsafetybutalsocrop production.
Conclusion
Crop modelingbycomparisonwithplantdiseasemodelingismuchsimple asonlyplantandsubsequent
impactof environmentonitispredicted.Amongplantscientists,plantpathologistswere earliestto
realize the role of environmentin disease developmentanditssubsequentimpactonhost-microbe

2. interaction.Till 1990, plantpathologistsneverthoughtof linkingdisease withchangesinclimate.
Climate change andplantdisease:Climate isusuallydefinedasanaggregate of weatherprevailingover
30 years(Goosse etal, 2010). Climate change andupcomingplantdiseasescenarioinPakistan:All
international organizationsworkingonclimate change are convincedthatPakistanwouldface worst
effectsof global climate change.
References
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3. GilgitBaltistan,whichisaneconomicallydiffidentregioninPakistan,will benefitone wayorthe other
throughthe projectCPEC. The remote mountainousregionhasalot of opportunitiestoavail inthe wake
of the ChinaPakistanEconomicCorridor(CPEC).