Editing Basil (section)

=== Diseases ===
Basil suffers from several plant pathogens that can ruin the crop and reduce [[crop yield|yield]]. [[Fusarium wilt]] is a soil-borne fungal disease that will quickly kill younger basil plants. [[Seedling]]s may be killed by ''[[Pythium]]'' [[damping off]]. A common [[foliage|foliar]] disease of basil is [[gray mold]] caused by ''[[Botrytis cinerea]]''; it can cause infections post-harvest and is capable of killing the entire plant. [[Black Spot (disease)|Black spot]] can be seen on basil foliage and is caused by the [[fungi]] [[genus]] ''[[Colletotrichum]]''. [[Downy mildew]] caused by ''[[Peronospora belbahrii]]'' is a significant disease, as first reported in Italy in 2003.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Garibaldi |first1=A. |last2=Minuto |first2=A. |last3=Minuto |first3=G. |last4=Gullino |first4=M. L. |date=March 2004 |title=First Report of Downy Mildew on Basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) in Italy |journal=Plant Disease |volume=88 |issue=3 |pages=312 |doi=10.1094/PDIS.2004.88.3.312A |pmid=30812374 |doi-access=}}</ref> It was reported in the Florida in 2007 and by 2008 had spread along the eastern United States, reaching Canada.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Roberts |first1=P. D. |last2=Raid |first2=R. N. |last3=Harmon |first3=P. F. |last4=Jordan |first4=S. A. |last5=Palmateer |first5=A. J. |date=February 2009 |title=First Report of Downy Mildew Caused by a Peronospora sp. on Basil in Florida and the United States |journal=Plant Disease |volume=93 |issue=2 |pages=199 |doi=10.1094/PDIS-93-2-0199B |pmid=30764112 |doi-access=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wick |first1=R. L. |last2=Brazee |first2=N. J. |date=March 2009 |title=First Report of Downy Mildew Caused by a Peronospora Species on Sweet Basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) in Massachusetts |journal=Plant Disease |volume=93 |issue=3 |pages=318 |doi=10.1094/PDIS-93-3-0318B |pmid=30764191 |doi-access=}}</ref> Basil cultivars resistant to ''P. belbahrii'' have been developed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/2020/02/21/basil-bounces-back-with-downy-mildew-resistant-cultivars/ |title=Maryland Grows Blog |date=21 February 2020 |access-date=29 September 2023}}</ref>

Non-pathogenic bacteria found on basil include ''[[Novosphingobium]]'' species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ceuppens |first1=Siele |last2=Delbeke |first2=Stefanie |last3=De Coninck |first3=Dieter |last4=Boussemaere |first4=Jolien |last5=Boon |first5=Nico |last6=Uyttendaele |first6=Mieke |date=21 August 2015 |title=Characterization of the Bacterial Community Naturally Present on Commercially Grown Basil Leaves: Evaluation of Sample Preparation Prior to Culture-Independent Techniques |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |volume=12 |issue=8 |pages=10171–10197 |doi=10.3390/ijerph120810171 |pmc=4555336 |pmid=26308033 |doi-access=free}}</ref>