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Fungicides are substances that are used to eliminate or prevent the growth of fungi or their spores. Fungi include but are not limited to mould, mildew, blights, and rusts. Fungi cannot produce their own carbohydrate
food as they lack chlorophyll and feed on living plants or dead organic matter. Fungi are a big concern in agriculture as most crop diseases are caused by fungi. The effect of fungi and fungal plant diseases has been
recorded even in early history but their cause was not identified. It was only in 1861 that Anton de Bary, the father of plant pathology, identified a fungus that was causing rot in potatoes and in 1885 that a fungicide
was developed to inhibit its growth. The major boost to fungicide development was in the 20th century. Many new types of fungicides were developed and widespread use was adopted, providing protection from many plant
diseases for the first time in history. As an alternative to conventional fungicides, biofungicides, which are formulations of living microorganisms, are also being adopted as a method to control the growth of fungi.