Plant diseases in the mediterranean region

The Mediterranean region is a well-defined ecological unit with hot and dry summers and relatively cold and rainy winters. Its climate is very changeable and the seasonal irregularity renders agriculture particularly hazardous. Some characteristics of plant diseases or the behavior of pathogens in the Mediterranean region are discussed briefly, with particular reference to some important crops such as olive, grapevine, citrus, date palm and cereals, as well as certain woody trees like chestnut, elm and cypress. 1 Lecture presented at the First Israeli-Italian Phytopathological Symposium, Bet Dagan, Israel, February 13–15, 1989.