Plant Pests & Diseases

Shanti
5 days ago
2 min read

Explore the work of people investigating, documenting and teaching about plants, ecosystems and environmental change.

Shanti Plants - The Earth Provides

Natural-light macro view of a white plant diagnostic tray on a wooden surface, containing a healthy green leaf and separate leaves showing chewing holes, clusters of sap-sucking insects and dark fungal leaf spots. Another leaf holds a beneficial predatory insect, while a hand lens and closed clear sample container sit beside the tray. — A plant-health diagnostic tray compares healthy foliage with common garden problems, including chewing damage, sap-sucking insects and fungal leaf spotting, alongside a beneficial predatory insect. A hand lens and sealed sample container support closer inspection and safe specimen collection.

Plant damage may be caused by insects, mites, nematodes, fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, animals or environmental stress. Correct identification matters because the wrong treatment can waste time, harm beneficial organisms and allow a serious pest or disease to spread.

What This Index Covers

This index covers monitoring, symptoms and diagnostic signs, common pest groups, infectious diseases, beneficial organisms, hygiene, exclusion, cultural and biological controls, targeted chemical use, resistance management and biosecurity reporting. It supports integrated pest and disease management rather than automatic spraying.

Browse Resources

Browse the resource areas currently organised under this index. Links can be added as reviewed articles and records are published.

Monitoring and identification - Checking plants regularly and recording patterns before acting.

Invertebrate pests - Recognising feeding damage, life stages and natural enemies.

Plant diseases - Distinguishing infectious signs from lookalike stress symptoms.

Prevention and hygiene - Managing tools, plant movement, airflow, water and infected material.

Integrated management - Combining cultural, physical, biological and targeted chemical options.

Biosecurity - Isolating and reporting unusual pests or symptoms.

Read First

Before using these resources for identification, growing, harvesting, conservation, community work or other practical decisions, read:

Confirm the Cause Before Treatment

Beneficial Organisms and Least-Harm Controls

Chemical Labels, Withholding Periods and Biosecurity

Coverage and Evidence

An organism found on a damaged plant may not be the cause. Use several features, life stages and, where needed, diagnostic services. Any pesticide use must follow the current Australian label, permitted use, protective equipment, withholding periods and environmental controls. Do not move suspicious plants or soil. Report unusual or exotic plant pests promptly.

The Earth's Resource Map and Learn library are being built progressively. Indexed means that a topic or resource can be connected to its identity, source and broad context; it does not mean that every claim has been verified or localised. Evidence is assessed claim by claim. Where information is missing, uncertain, restricted or location-dependent, that limitation should remain visible.

Last Reviewed

19 August 2026

This date records review of this index-page copy and its resource structure. Individual articles, records, laws, project details and evidence may have different publication and review dates.

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References

Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Integrated pest and disease management. Accessed 19 August 2026.

Plant Health Australia. Digital surveillance systems and pest identification resources. Accessed 19 August 2026.

Royal Horticultural Society. Propagation and plant-care advice. Accessed 19 August 2026.