India is the world’s largest producer for many vegetables, fresh fruits, millets, castor seed oil; and second largest producer of wheat and rice. Thanks to India's green revolution, steady annual increase in the productivity (kg/ha) for some agricultural items is achieved over the last 60 years. Despite this, average crop yields in India are still just 30 percent to 60 percent of the best sustainable crop yields achievable in the other developing countries (FAOSTAT). Low productivity drastically affects the sustainability for the Indian farmers.

Minimizing Crop losses due to diseases is the next focus (after green revolution) area for improving the productivity. Estimates of average global loss of crops due to diseases vary from 15 – 40 percent. For specific crop- disease combinations, 60 percent losses are very common. Under changing climate scenario, in many cases, existing curative chemicals have proven ineffective. In such cases vast areas under the crop lose up to 90 percent, and farmers even in the developed countries simply let the crop go. The situation forces to look for better alternative strategies of crop disease management, and the urgency is dictated by the new alarms being raised. FAO estimates that 37 percent of the world’s wheat cultivation is under the risk of epidemics of rust - the disease that has caused 29 – 80 percent losses in the past. This could be a very serious threat for global food security.

Successful management of disease depends on three factors – health of the host crop and ability to defend the disease, pathogen load and its ability to cause disease, and finally the climate. However, at this juncture, our major commercial experience with the disease management technique is only using disease control strategy, and in this scenario the climate is the factor which is often blamed for the unmanageable diseases. But when we investigate the two other factors – the host and the pathogen – we find enormous opportunities to manage the disease by preventive mechanisms. Deeper understanding of plant – pathogen interactions broadly shows three ways of

preventing a disease. We could work towards blocking entry of pathogen, or build beneficial micro-flora on (or inside) to defend the plant surfaces; and we can boost the plant defense mechanisms. Using these strategies we can strengthen the capacity of the plant to resist or prevent the disease. On other hand we could weaken the pathogen by blocking its key physiological mechanism such as production of degradative enzymes, capsule, signal molecules etc. or could block its major developmental step such as spore germination; thereby affecting its survival in nature, pathogenesis or invasiveness. All such mechanisms and tools are known to mankind for years together. Now is a high time to implement all these principles together to AVERT and not TREAT the diseases of crops.

FAO estimates that 37 percent of the world’s wheat cultivation is under the risk of epidemics of rust - the disease that has caused 29 – 80 percent losses in the past

Prevention of the diseases offers multiple advantages. The products used for disease prevention are all biological, non-toxic. When use of these products can minimize requirement of toxic chemicals, this is going to be a great boon for environment. The bio-products are going to be less costly than many of the toxic–chemicals, and they will de-risk the farmer’s production by a great extent and with a very high ROI. Further, the agriculture produce grown without use of toxic-chemicals fetches higher value in exports and organized markets. However, the end-users neither understand the prevention, nor care about it. So they do not want to spend for prevention. This socio-economic aspect in implementing crop disease prevention is going to be much larger than the scientific one.

On the scientific front, initially, the implementation in the fields must be with lots of analysis of the disease – pathogen, pre-disposal factors, and plant resistance level. This will not only prove the ‘disease prevention’ basis scientifically, but also inculcate the concept of ‘building resistance to avert diseases’ in the mindset of the end users.

Setting the correct mindset of the farmers about the ‘disease prevention’ right at the initial stages of product introduction is very important. This is because, with prevention of diseases, growth of the plants is boosted. If farmers perceive these products as “plant growth promoters”, then the products may be misbranded. They will prove ineffective if advocated as growth promoters. At a later stage of commercialization, hi-touch base with ever growing user population may not be feasible to eliminate any such confusion.

Generation of the scientific analytical data on disease can be used with advantage. The farmers can be advised on the basis of the analytical data. This will help them improve the productivity besides the use of the products for disease prevention. We can thus introduce data based decision making to farmers, which will evolve in precision farming. Incorporation of technology in to the analysis – android, cloud analysis, IOT can deliver the meaningful contents to farmers and revolutionize the farming.

Such a coherent solution is a global need. It can fulfill unmet need and solve problems like Salmonella contamination, citrus canker, mildew, kiwi rotting and many more..!!