Indiana Accredited Horticulture Initial Practice Exam

The distinction between people pressure diseases and other types of stress can be crucial in understanding plant health. A nutrient deficiency impacts a plant's ability to grow and thrive, typically tied to inadequate care or mismanagement of soil nutrients by humans, categorizing it as a people pressure disease. Soil compaction is also a product of human activity, often caused by heavy machinery or foot traffic, which restricts root growth and negatively affects water and nutrient uptake. Waterlogging results from poor drainage practices and can often be remedied through improved landscaping and soil management techniques.

In contrast, drought conditions arising from a naturally dry spring are not directly caused by human actions. While people may influence broader climate patterns or contribute to long-term changes in precipitation, a specific dry spring is primarily a natural phenomenon rather than a result of human management or practices. This makes drought due to a dry spring not classified as a people pressure disease. Understanding these classifications is essential for effective horticultural practices and managing plant health.