Under what conditions can disease pathogens effectively cause infection in plants?

The correct choice highlights that disease pathogens can effectively cause infection in plants when there are optimal environmental conditions, specifically focusing on moisture, temperature, wind, and soil quality.

Moisture is critical because many pathogens require water for spore germination and for the invasion of plant tissues. High humidity can promote favorable conditions for fungal infections, while certain bacterial infections also thrive in moist environments.

Temperature plays a key role as well; different pathogens have specific temperature ranges in which they are most virulent. For instance, some pathogens may be most active during warm temperatures, while others may thrive in cooler conditions.

Wind can facilitate the spread of pathogens by helping to disperse spores and pathogens from one plant to another, increasing the likelihood of infection. Lastly, soil quality impacts plant health and resilience against diseases. Healthy, well-aerated soils with adequate nutrients support robust plant growth, thereby enabling plants to better withstand infections.

In contrast, the other options suggest conditions that are either not conducive to disease development or are too limiting. For example, abundant sunlight does not inherently correlate with disease severity; instead, it is the accompanying factors like moisture and temperature that matter more. Similarly, compacted soil and high air pollution may stress plants but do not directly relate to the