"Chapters within "The Fungi" bring up to date the nomenclature and classification of species, accurately reflecting the phylogeny of the fungi. An entire chapter is dedicated to the taxonomy of the powdery mildew fungi providing a new and reliable international source for all mycologists and plant pathologists. Convenient reference to both 'old' and 'new' names throughout the book will facilitate understanding and accelerate transition towards general use of the new taxonomy and nomenclature."--pub. desc.

Powdery mildew disease is the fourth most widespread disease in cruciferous crops and a devastating effect, causing significant losses in terms of quality and quantity in rapeseed and mustard. Powdery mildews are also a favourable host-pathosystem model for basic research on host–parasite interactions, developmental morphology, cytology, and molecular biology to identify the effector proteins/genes governing different biological functions. This book provides a comprehensive overview of all the published information in the field for researchers, teachers, students, extension experts, industrialists and farmers, and includes illustrations, photographs, graphs, figures, tables, histograms, micrographs, electron micrographs, and flow charts to aid understanding. It also describes standardized reducible techniques. The book discusses each disease in detail, describing the distribution, symptomatology, host range, yield losses and disease assessment, as well as the taxonomy, morphology, phylogeny, variability, sporulation, survival and perpetuation of the pathogen. Further, it explores topics such as spore germination; infection; pathogenesis; disease cycle; epidemiology; forecasting; fine structures; host resistance; biochemical, histological, genetic and molecular aspects such as cloning and mapping of R genes; sources of resistance; disease resistance breeding; and the genetics of host-parasite interactions and disease management.

"This compendium includes almost all presently known species of ascomycetes that have been reported in soil and which sporulate in culture. They constitute a very broad spectrum of genera belonging to very diverse orders, but mainly to the Onygenales, Sordariales, Eurotiales, Thelebolales, Pezizales, Melanosporales, Pleosporales, Xylariales, Coniochaetales and Microascales. The goal of this book is to provide sufficient data for users to recognise and identify these species. It includes the description of 146 genera and 698 species. For each genus a dichotomous key to facilitate species identification is provided and for each genus and species the salient morphological features are described. These descriptions are accompanied by line drawings illustrating the most representative structures. Light micrographs, supplemented by scanning electron micrographs and Nomarski interference contrast micrographs of most of the species treated in the book are also included. In addition, numerous species not found in soil but related to those included in this book are referenced or described. This book will be of value not only to soil microbiologists and plant pathologists concerned with the soilborne fungi and diseases, but also to anyone interested in identifying fungi in general, because many of the genera included here are not confined to soil. Since most of the fungi of biotechnological or clinical interest (dermatophytes, dimorphic fungi and opportunists) are soil-borne ascomycetes, the content of this book is of interest for a wide range of scientists."--pub. desc.

This book focuses on techniques for isolation, cultivation, molecular and morphological study of fungi and yeasts. It has been developed as a general text, which is based on the annual mycology course given at the CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre (Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures). It provides an introductory text to systematic mycology.