Plant health is influenced by which factors?

• A. Biotic Stress Factors
• B. Abiotic Stress Factors
• C. Biotic and Abiotic Stress Factors
• D. Market Factors

Answer: (C)

Plant health is shaped by stresses from living organisms and from the environment itself. Biotic stress factors come from living threats such as pests (insects, mites), pathogens (fungi, bacteria, viruses), and weeds that damage or compete with the plant. Abiotic stress factors are non-living conditions like drought, waterlogging, extreme temperatures, salinity, light levels, nutrient imbalances, and pollutants. Both types of stress can directly harm growth and yield, and they often interact—for example, drought or heat can weaken a plant and raise its susceptibility to diseases, while high humidity can promote fungal infections. Market factors may affect management decisions, but they do not directly impact the plant’s physiological health. That’s why the correct view includes both biotic and abiotic stress factors.