Soil Pathogens
Soil pathogens are tiny living things in dirt that make plants sick and stop them from growing well.
Think of it this way
Bad bacteria hide in a jar of flour, mixed in with the good powder. When you scoop flour to bake bread, the bad bacteria spread through the dough. They break down the dough from inside. The bread never rises right. Soil pathogens work the same way — they hide in dirt and attack plant roots before you can see them.
Explaining soil pathogens by grade level
Some dirt has tiny germs in it. These germs can make plants sick. Sick plants turn brown and stop growing. Clean soil helps pea plants grow big and strong.