Fungi are multicelled and during certain stages of their life cycles, may be seen without a microscope. They have no chlorophyll and though they do have cell walls, the walls of many species are not made of cellulose as in true plants. Many species of fungi produce spores, which are reproductive structures which aid in dispersal and survival. Most fungi can be identified by the structure of these microscopic spores. Rhizoctonia can be identified by the very characteristic right angle branches of its fungal threads.
Wind is important in the dispersal of most fungal pathogens.
Spores can be carried for miles in the wind. Though fungi cause more diseases than bacteria, bacterial diseases can be some of the most difficult to control and can be devastating to plants. Though some bacteria do produce spores, there are no plant pathogenic bacteria that produce spores. Some bacteria can survive in the soil in decaying plant material for a time. Unlike fungi, they usually need the host to survive.