The stages a sick plant goes through from start to finish of an infection?

• A. Disease
• B. Disease Cycle
• C. Defoliation
• D. Foliar

Answer: (B)

The stages a sick plant goes through from start to finish of an infection are described by the disease cycle. This term captures the whole sequence: initial exposure or inoculation, successful infection and establishment, growth or colonization by the pathogen, appearance of symptoms, and potential spread to other plants. Recognizing the disease cycle helps you understand how diseases develop and, importantly, where to interrupt them to protect turf—through practices like sanitation, resistant varieties, or timely treatment. The word disease refers to the illness itself, not the progression; defoliation is a symptom or outcome (leaf drop), and foliar relates to leaf surfaces or leaf diseases, not the process from start to finish.