It was a compliment to me to be asked to prepare the fourth edition of Westcott's Plant Disease Handbook, and the decision to accept the responsi bility for the fourth edition and now the fifth edition was not taken lightly. The task has been a formidable one. I have always had a great respect professionally for Dr. Cynthia Westcott. That respect has grown considerably with the completion of the two editions. I now fully realize the tremendous amount of effort expended by Dr. Westcott in developing the Handbook. A book such as this is never finished, since one is never sure that everything has been included that should be. I would quote and endorse the words of Dr. Westcott in her preface to the first edition: "It is easy enough to start a book on plant disease. It is impossible to finish it. " This revision of the Handbook retains the same general format contained in the previous editions. The chemicals and pesticides regulations have been updated; a few taxonomic changes have been made in the bacteria, fungi, and mistletoes; the changing picture in diseases caused by viruses and/or viruslike agents has been described. A few new host plants have been added, and many recently reported diseases as well as previously known diseases listed now on new hosts have been included. In addition, photographs have been replaced where possible, and the color photograph section has been retained.

Symptoms of disease in plants; Non-parasitic diseases; Diseases due to deficiences of food materials in the soil; Diseases due to excesses of soluble salts in the soil; Diseases due to unfavorable water relations; Diseases due to improper air relations; Diseases due to high temperatures; Diseases due to low temperatures; Diseases due to unfavorable light light relations; Diseases due to manufacturing or industrial processes; Diseases due to control practices; Virus and related diseases; Parasitic diseases; Bacterial diseases of plants; Diseases due to slime molds; The conditions of a fungus in or on the substratum; Diseases due to downy mildews and allies; Diseases due to pondscum parasites; Diseases due to black molds and allies; Diseases due to leaf curls and related fungi; Diseases due to cup fungi and allies; Diseases due to powdery mildews and allies; Diseases due to sphere fungi and allies; Diseases due to imperfect fungi; Diseases due to smut fungi; Diseases due to rust fungi; Diseases due to palisade fungi and allies; Parasitic seed plants and the troubles they cause; Nematodes and the diseases they cause.

Ideally a textbook should integrate with the lectures and labs in a science course. Select ing such a book can be an onerous (and sometimes impossible) task for the teacher. Students are wary of getting stuck with a "useless" book, i. e. , one to which the instructor never refers. The reader probably has some practical appreciation of their concern. I remem ber an instructor who not only denounced the very text he had chosen, but also informed the class that he wouldn't be using it. This was after I had already purchased a copy! Being mindful of the foregoing, I decided to try Barnes' Atlas and Manual of Plant Pathology in 1973. Six years and 800 students later I have no regrets about my choice. As far as I am concerned it is still the finest book of its kind on this continent. Barnes' Atlas contains an excellent blend of the diagnostic and experimental aspects of plant pathology. His treatment of each disease on an individual basis allows the instruc tor to omit some pathogens without disturbing the book's continuity. My one-semester course in Forest Pathology is largely descriptive. Strong emphasis is placed on field recognition of symptoms and signs. This is facilitated by Barnes' technique. In a sequence of photographs, the diseased plant or part is first viewed as a whole to show the general symptoms. This is usually followed by a close-up ofthe signs (i. e.

Handbook of Plant Disease Identification and Management presents the fundamentals of plant diseases identification based on symptomology and management focusing mainly on integrated pest management approach. It discusses a variety of techniques for the diagnosis of crop disease, losses due to crop diseases, and theories behind disease management. It describes how society is constraining the possibilities for management of crop diseases by changing the environment; biologically controlling crop diseases; and the epidemiologic and genetic concepts of managing host genes. This book discusses managing diseases through diverse chemical, biological, and physical methods. It highlights climatic factors affecting crops by creating favorable condition for most of the diseases. This book serves as a complete guide for growers, researchers, and graduate students to understand basics of plant disease identification. It explains the disease cycle for respective crops with favorable conditions promoting disease development. It intends to aid growers in managing diseases and help scientists with future research.

An encyclopaedic treatment of plant diseases in Europe, this book is designed as a standard reference volume for the general working plant pathologist and those taking advanced training in plant pathology. It provides a clear, informed and authoritative summary of each entry by an appropriate specialist, with a selection of key references for further reading. The handbook covers the economic diseases of crops and forest trees in Europe, treated by pathogen and classed as pathogens of major, moderate and minor importance. Approximately 1000 organisms are covered in total, including 600 fungi, 100 bacteria, and 300 viruses and similar organisms

A field and laboratory manual emphasizing the most practical methods for rapid identification.

The Trees and Shrubs manual is a reference manual on diseases which attack trees, shrubs, and vines. The manual identifies various types of diseases which are known to invade these plants located throughout North, Central, and South America. The recordings include diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, viroids, phytoplasmas, and nematodes. Causal disease agents are described and illustrated in some cases and diseases and disease control measures are also discussed. A manual such as this is never finished since new reports of diseases are continuously reported.

This invaluable resource introduces the eleven types of organism that cause plant disease, ranging from higher plants to viroids and describes examples of cash and staple crop diseases that have caused human catastrophes. Early chapters cover serological and molecular techniques for the diagnosis of plant pathogens, epidemiology, methods for estimating disease severity and its effect on crop yields and techniques for limiting inoculum. Later chapters are concerned with colonisation of the plant and symptom development and the underlying biochemical and genetic factors that control these events. Finally, the control of plant disease using a variety of techniques including genetic modification is discussed. Modern diagnostic techniques Epidemiology and the measurement of disease severity The biochemistry and molecular biology of plant disease Control through cultural, biological, genetic and molecular techniques A wealth of examples and applications including full colour photographs