title: Crop-destroying fungal and oomycete pathogens challenge food security.
abstract: Of the various crop pests and pathogens which blight our harvests, it is the fungi and oomycetes which are the most widely-dispersed groups and which lead the global invasion of agriculture. Here, we highlight the rapid growth in fungal and oomycete disease incidence and spread across the globe. We draw attention to the need for improved disease surveillance and for more sustainable agricultural intensification and consider the economic and humanitarian costs of fungal and oomycete diseases.
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Bebber
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK; Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, EX20 2SB, UK. Electronic address: s.j.gurr@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Gurr
mesh_terms: D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000382:microbiology*; D005523:Food Supply; D005658:Fungi; D006801:Humans; D009868:Oomycetes; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Agriculture; Climate change; Food security