The theme of the book is to introduce students to the current intellectual excitement and challenges in studying plant disease and its management. there are exclusive chapters on the infectious pathogens; (fungi, bacteria, fastidious vascular- colonizing bacteria, viruses, sub- viral pathogens, nematodes) and the non-infectious, abiotic agents that causes disorders due to mineral imbalances, ozone, PAN and ethylene. The chemical determinants of pathogenicity and virulence: the cell wall degrading enzymes, plant hormones and toxins are discussed with well documented examples. Disease resistance mechanisms without recourse to antibodies, t-cells and the like are ni less subtle than the mammalian immune system. these include the pre- existing and those induced after molecular avirulence-,and resistance gene- products viz.the elicitors and resistance proteins, respectively.the role of signal molecules like salicylic acid, jasmonates and ethylene in development of systemic resistance, are discussed in depth justifying their present cutting edge status in plant pathology .The celebrated "gene for gene hypothesis" and the phenomena of recognition, and specificity are described with clarity. The infected plant shows alterations in its physiology and biochemistry, especially in membrane damage, ionic imbalance, respiration, photosynthesis, protein and phenol metabolism. the human efforts in protecting the crop through fungicides, and now more importantly by biological control methods including transgenic resistant cultivars are elucidated. the second half of the book is devoted to description of diseases (their causal agents, symptoms, epidemiology and management) under chapter devoted to leaf - spots and blights,mosaics, leaf curls and yellows wilts, rots, abnormal growths, and the biotrophic diseases , the downy mildews, powdery mildews, and smuts and the rusts.
Each chapter, besides references, has summary and test questions.
History of Plant pathology
Some Definitions and Concepts
Fungi as plant pathogens
Bacteria as Plant Pathogens
Fastidious Vascular Colonizing bacteria
Viruses as Plant Pathogens
Sub - Viral Plant Pathogens (Viral Satellites, Viroids and Prions)
Nematodes as Plant Pathogens
Angiosperms as Plant pathogens
Parasitic Green Algae as Plant pathogens
Noninfectious, Abiotic Plant Disease A gents ( Non - Parasitic or Physiological Disorders)
Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes in Plant pathogenesis
Toxins in Plants Pathogenesis
Disease Resistance: 1 Protection
Disease Resistance: 2 Defense (Active, or Induced Resistance)
Genetics of Host - Parasite Interactions and Specificity
Mosaica, Yellows, Leaf Curls and Other Abnormalities ( Virus and Phytoplasma Diseases)
Wilts
Rots: Damping - Off of Seedlings; Soft Rots and Dry Rots
Abnormal Growths: Galls , Leaf, Galls, Shoot Proliferations and Fasciations
Downy Mildews
Powdery Mildews
Smuts and Bunts
Rusts and Pucciniomycotina Smuts
Glossary
Author Index
Organism Index
Subject
Dube HC
Dr. H.C. Dube did his M.Sc. from Gorakhpur University, D.Phil. from Allahabad, under Prof. KS Bilgrami, and Postdoctoral from University of Madras with Padmabhushan Prof. T.S.Sadasivan. He also worked at Colorado State University (USA), with Prof Ralf Baker and was a Senior Dade Fellow at Hannover (Germany) with Prof Schonbeck. Dr. Dube served as Prof. and head of the Dept. of Life Sciences at Bhavnagar University for 17 years before his retirement in 2002. Earlier he was reader as Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, (Gujarat) and lecturer at University of Udaipur (now Mohan Lal Sukhadia University). During this period, he published over 200 research papers and produced 36 PhDs on modern integrated areas in biology. He has published three books and edited four multi-author volumes, published in India and USA. Prof. Dube was elected FNASc in1989 and President of Mycological Society of India in 2001. He was Director of UNESCO-sponsored project on water management at Alang and Sosia ship-breaking yard at Bhavnagar, and Research Coordinator of Ocean Science and Technology Cell of the Dept. of Ocean Development, Govt. of India, to plan and promote research on marine ecology of West Coast of India. Dr. Dube received the “Outstanding Plant Pathology Teacher Award” of Indian Society of Mycology and Plant Pathology in 2006.