Template:POTD/2010-07-20
A specimen of Rigidoporus laetus, a fungal plant pathogen. Fungi reproduce both sexually and asexually via the production of spores. These spores may be spread long distances by air or water, or they may be soil-borne. Many soil-borne spores, normally zoospores and capable of living saprotrophically, carry out the first part of their life cycle in the soil. Fungal diseases can be controlled through the use of fungicides in agriculture, but new races of fungi often evolve that are resistant to various fungicides.Photo: Noodle snacks