Food Security and Plant Disease Management offers a comprehensive exploration of biocontrol, the latest technologies being used in plant health assurance, and resulting impacts on crop production and food security. Discussing both theoretical and practical topics, the book examines basic and advanced applications of biosensor and nano-technologies, introduces plant disease, including modes of action and their transmission in host plants, then covers factors contributing to plant disease and various means of addressing those diseases. This volume is part of the Microorganisms in Agriculture and the Environment series and provides important information for developing new effective plant protection practices. The direct or indirect applications of beneficial microbes in the treatment of plant disease is termed "microbial control and these methods have increasingly been identified as important options for plant health management. The beneficial microbes as well as recent omic and nano-technologies also reveal important mechanisms that can be utilized in disease management strategies. - Explores the impact of climate change on plant diseases and new methods of resolution - Includes information on gene expression during crop disease management - Presents insights into the legal and commercial aspects of microbial control

This book discusses various aspects of bioactive natural products employed in the agrochemical and agriculture sectors. It covers the use of plants, microorganisms, and microbial metabolites as eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable alternatives to chemicals in the field of agriculture. Written by active researchers and academics, the book highlights state-of-art products in the field, as well as the gaps, challenges, and obstacles associated with the use of plants, microbes and their products. Given its scope, it is a valuable resource for the scientific community and professionals in enterprises wanting insights into the latest developments and advances in the context of biological products, including their applications, traditional uses, modern practices, and strategies to harness their full potential.

Alternative methods of disease control such as natural products and compounds derived from biological origins, provide an effective alternate to the use of chemical products or a means to minimize their use. It is imperative now to look for such sustainable crop disease management approaches, that include routine and alternative methods. Natural products for sustainable crop disease management is an effort in this direction, and deals with immediate concerns in the field of natural and alternative products for disease control, apart from using biocontrol organisms. This book presents up-to-date information on natural products and compounds derived from biological origins and thoroughly discusses their applicability, field use and prospects for adoption under different cropping conditions. This book also validates disease management strategies.

The main theme of the book is sustainable disease management in a European context. Some of the questions addressed are: How does society benefit from plant pathology research? How can new molecular approaches solve relevant problems in disease management? What other fields can we exploit in plant pathology research? What challenges are associated with free trade across the new borders? How can we contribute to solving problems of developing countries? How does plant pathology contribute to food quality and safety? How does globalization/internationalization affect teaching and extension in plant pathology?

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Sustainable Agriculture–Beyond Organic Farming" that was published in Sustainability

Continued population growth, rapidly changing consumption patterns and the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are driving limited resources of food, energy, water and materials towards critical thresholds worldwide. These pressures are likely to be substantial across Africa, where countries will have to find innovative ways to boost crop and livestock production to avoid becoming more reliant on imports and food aid. Sustainable agricultural intensification - producing more output from the same area of land while reducing the negative environmental impacts - represents a solution for millions of African farmers. This volume presents the lessons learned from 40 sustainable agricultural intensification programmes in 20 countries across Africa, commissioned as part of the UK Government's Foresight project. Through detailed case studies, the authors of each chapter examine how to develop productive and sustainable agricultural systems and how to scale up these systems to reach many more millions of people in the future. Themes covered include crop improvements, agroforestry and soil conservation, conservation agriculture, integrated pest management, horticulture, livestock and fodder crops, aquaculture, and novel policies and partnerships.

Ecofriendly Pest Management for Food Security explores the broad range of opportunity and challenges afforded by Integrated Pest Management systems. The book focuses on the insect resistance that has developed as a result of pest control chemicals, and how new methods of environmentally complementary pest control can be used to suppress harmful organisms while protecting the soil, plants, and air around them. As the world's population continues its rapid increase, this book addresses the production of cereals, vegetables, fruits, and other foods and their subsequent demand increase. Traditional means of food crop production face proven limitations and increasing research is turning to alternative means of crop growth and protection. - Addresses environmentally focused pest control with specific attention to its role in food security and sustainability. - Includes a range of pest management methods, from natural enemies to biomolecules. - Written by experts with extensive real-world experience.

This collection summarises and reviews the wealth of recent research on the development of more environmentally friendly biological methods to control plant diseases.

More than a century has passed since the first bioformulations were introduced to the market. But there is still much to be done, explored and developed. Though bioformulations offer green alternatives and are important for sustainable agriculture, they make up only a small fraction of the total additions used to enhance crop yields or protect them from pests. There is a great need to develop bioformulations that can promote confidence among end users; accordingly, it is imperative that bioformulations to replace chemicals be reliable and overcome the shortcomings of the past. Bioformulations: for Sustainable Agriculture discusses all the issues related to the current limitations and future development of bioformulations. It examines in detail those bioformulations that include biofertilizers and biopesticides (also commonly known as bioinoculants), presenting a global picture of their development. Further chapters address diverse microbes that are already being or could be used as bioformulations. The book also discusses the techniques, tools and other additions required to establish bioformulations as trustworthy and global solutions. It assesses the types of bioformulations currently available on the market, while also considering the future roles of bioformulations, including the reclamation of marginal and polluted soils. Further, it discusses the current legislation and much-needed amendments. Overall the book provides a comprehensive outlook on the status quo of bioformulations and the future approaches needed to improve them and achieve sustainable agriculture and food security without sacrificing the quality of soils. This will be extremely important in offering chemical-free foods and a better future for generations to come.