Globalizing plant health

There are four broad methods to control diseases in crops: agronomy, genetics, chemistry, and biosecurity. These methods appear to differ markedly in their cost, where the cost falls, and their effectiveness. I review the features of these four methods. There is a lack of data and details on the costs and effectiveness of these methods, but based on the data, I suggest that resources for genetic disease resistance including global isolate collections, global host germplasm collections, and genotyping and phenotyping platforms should be increased. A modest increase in funds would be expected to have a major impact on food security and would also prolong the effectiveness of chemical, agronomical, and biosecurity methods to improve disease control.