International Journal of Academic and Applied Research (IJAAR) ISSN: 2643-9603 Vol. 6 Issue 9, September - 2022, Pages: 84-87 www.ijeais.org/ijaar 84 The Influence of Changing Climate on Emergence and Proliferation of Plant Diseases in Africa: A Synthesis Petros Chavula 1*,2 , Judith Museo Njau 2 , Yasin Mohammed 2,3 , Benson Turyasingura 4,5 1* Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, School of Agriculture, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia. E-mail: chavulapetros@yahoo.com; ORCHID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-8233 2 Africa Center of Excellency for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, P. O. BOX 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia; Email: juddynzau@gmail.com 3 Ethiopia Institute of Agriculture Research in Climate, Geo-spatial and Biometrics Research Programs, Adama, Oromo Region, Ethiopia; yamoha21@gmail.com 4 Department of Environmental Sciences, Kabale University, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Kabale University, P. O. Box 317, Plot 346, Block 3 Kikungiri, Kabale, Uganda. 5 MSc. Student; Africa Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, P. O. BOX 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia: Email: bensonturyasingura@gmail.com; ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1325-4483 Abstract: Little efforts has been made to document the influence of climate change and plant disease development globally. The availability of water, the quality of the soil, and agricultural production can all be impacted by a variety of catastrophic occurrences that may take place over a long period of time and area. yields, infestations, and pest and pathogen vulnerability. A pathogen's specific interactions with its host or hosts, as well as the effects these interactions have on the relationships between the host and other species in the community. In order to evaluate the type and extent of plant and pathogen evolutionary adaptability as well as the fate of plants in the face of future climate change, a study encompassing multiyear trends is required. Keywords: Agriculture, Growth, Integrated, Nature, Plants, Soil, Weather, Yield 1. INTRODUCTION Climate-related changes have a substantial influence on crop productivity, disease susceptibility, and the persistence of plant illnesses. Additionally, it influences agricultural health by influencing how susceptible crops are to pests and diseases (Garrett et al. 2021). To deal with their consequences and avoid a fall in productivity, these changes force variations in farming practises (Zayan 2018). Changes in the environment are strongly related to changes in illness severity and losses as a result of it because it plays such a big role in disease development (Elad and Pertot, 2014). The environment may have an impact on a plant's disease susceptibility genetics, succulence, and availability (Agrios, 2005). Consequently, the impact of climate change on agricultural production is very great. The consequences of climate change, however, will be extremely regionalized and variable. Climate change conditions may have an effect on both the host and the pathogen. For instance, some temperatures can increase the host's resistance to infectious diseases, whilst other temperatures can promote the development of pathogens. An illustration of these occurrences is the relationship between temperature and the susceptibility of wheat and oats to rust infections and the greater resistance of particular forage species (Coakley et al., 1999). Furthermore, many pests may experience one to five additional lifecycles per season as a result of temperature variations as slight as CO2 fluctuations, which improves their capacity to overcome plant resistance. According to Nazir et al. (2018), it has been discovered that increasing atmospheric CO2 levels have an impact on plant physiology, morphology, and biomass (Nazir et al., 2018). Some research suggest that increased CO2 stimulates higher glucose concentrations within host tissue, which results in the emergence of plant diseases like rusts (Manning and Tiedemann, 19950). Increased CO2 may alter the microenvironment and enlarge the leaf canopy, leading to crop losses from foliar diseases (Chakraborty et al., 2003). Increased CO2 levels, according to Manning and Tiedemann (1995), would enhance canopy area and density, producing more biomass with good nutritional quality. Plants respond to rising CO2 levels by changing their C: N ratio (Ball, 1997). Moisture and temperature increases can make the host more vulnerable to infection (McElrone et al., 2001). Water stress affects photosynthesis, reduces leaf growth, closes stomata, and changes the root/shoot ratio. It also modifies the architecture of the shoot (Elad and Pertot, 2014). Increased aggressiveness in isolates of stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis) at higher temperatures suggests that rust fungi can adapt to and benefit from higher temperatures (Mboup et al., 2012). Our ability to mitigate such changes in natural systems is far less than it is in agricultural systems. Humans can influence the number and severity of disease populations in agriculture through breeding, agronomy, nutrient and moisture management, and the application of chemical treatments. None of these acts are environmentally or practically appropriate in plant communities. The Figure also demonstrates how community change brought on by