Biological control of plant diseases and plant pathogens is of great significance in forestry and agriculture. This book, the first of its kind, is organized around the indication that allelochemicals can be employed for biological control of plant pathogens and plant diseases. This volume focuses on discovery and development of natural product based fungicides for agriculture, direct use of allelochemicals, and application of allelopathy in pest management.

Prevent agricultural loss with natural disease controls that don’t harm the environment—or the people who live in it Despite the worldwide use of chemicals and pesticides to control the devastating effects of plant disease, the international agribusiness market still suffers extensive economic losses each year. Biological Control of Plant Diseases offers natural alternatives to the synthetic fungicides, pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides that have not only failed to stop pests and pathogens, but have raised serious safety and environmental concerns. The world’s leading plant pathologists examine the use of antagonistic microorganisms, inherent resistance, and natural fungicides for plant protection that’s safe, economical, and effective. Biological Control of Plant Diseases presents up-to-date research findings on disease management to provide you with a single-source reference text for developing a sustainable ecosystem that doesn’t depend on harmful and unhealthy agrochemicals. This unique book acts as a catalyst for change, presenting fresh ideas and innovative strategies for finding meaningful solutions to the problems of disease control. Contributors working in the areas of plant protection, microbiology, plant pathology, biotechnology, ecology, and food safety examine topics that include the application of plant tissue culture, competitive root colonization, mycorrhiza in biocontrol, microbial siderophores, antagonism, and genetic regulation. Topics addressed in Biological Control of Plant Diseases include: soil-borne pathogens rhizobacteria organic acids white rot Trichoderma and Agrobacterium phyllosphere manure-based microbes gray mold disease major fungal diseases mycoparasitism microbial chitinases and much more Biological Control of Plant Diseases is an invaluable reference resource for extension scientists and academics working in botany, biology, entomology, ecology, agriculture, horticulture, plant pathology, and the environmental sciences.

Not a new edition of Rice's 1984 monograph on Allelopathy, but an update covering selected topics that have been researched most actively, i.e., agriculture and forestry, with considerable research in those areas directed at the biological control of weeds and plant diseases. The volume is based ch

This guide presents new and promising, alternative methods for controlling fungal, viral, and bacterial diseases of plants--methods which limit and, in some cases, eliminate the use of biocides. Considers three major concepts of disease control including biological control systems, biochemical and physiological manipulations in plants, and the use of molecular biology and the potential of genetic engineering. Presents updated findings together with authors' views and speculations on plant disease control.

Chemical warfare between plants and their herbivores and pathogens was first brought to our attention by the publication 25 years ago of the paper by Fraenkel in Science. There, he pointed out that most plants have similar nutritional characteristics so that the selection of plants by insect herbivores must depend on the relative toxicity of secondary compounds. This led, rather gradually, to a host of papers on plant-herbivore interactions. More or less at the same time, insect physiologists and ecologists were starting to realise the importance of chemical communi cation systems in determining sexual and other characteristics of insect behaviour. Nine years ago the Phytochemical Society of North America published their Symposium on 'Biochemical Interaction Between Plants and Insects' in which the plant apparency theory was expounded by both Paul Feeny and Rex Cates and David Rhoades. This stated that plants which are apparent usually contain secondary components which reduce digestibility (tannins and lignins) while ephemeral plants have more toxic, and perhaps less costly, compounds such as alkaloids. These papers stimulated much research on biochemical ecology. The recognition of the importance of the biochemical factors in such interactions is not just of scientific interest. It is vitally important in programs for the production of new varieties of cultivated plants, especially in tropical countries where about one-third or more of the crops are lost to predation or disease.

Allelochemical interactions, during the last three decades, have evolved as an important branch of plant ecology. In this book, in general, the effects of chemical compounds released from plants (including microorganisms), on other plants in their vicinity are considered under the term "allelopa-thy." The term "allelochemical" is used in a wider context in the field of ecology where it includes, but is not limited to, plant and microorganism interactions. Allelochemicals released from plants (including microorganisms) have multifaceted influences on ecosystems; these also influence soil microbial ecology, soil nutrients, and physical, chemical and biological soil factors. We believe~that it is extraordinarily difficult to separate the influence of allelochemicals on each of these components of an ecosystem. Effects on any one of these components, due to allelochemicals, may influence growth, distribution, and survival of plant species. The aim of this book is to provide insight and recent progress on allelochemical research from this multifaceted standpoint. Research articles-reporting results of substantially completed work, and review articles-presenting novel and critical appraisals of specific topics of interest, are included. Yet it may not be a comprehensive treatise on the subject. The sequence of chapters in the book starts with an overview followed by 34 chapters contributed by scientists around the world, thus presenting a global perspective on allelochemical research. Section I-Methodologies (Chapters 2-8), discusses important aspects of methodology in the study of allelopathy, shortcom-ings of bioassays for allelopathy, bioassays for different plant groups, extraction of allelochemicals from soil, sampling procedures, and an outline of analytical methods for different classes of allelo-chemicals. Section Il-Interactions Among Plant and Microbial Systems (Chapter 945), presents allelochemical research in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and includes other important subjects like pollen allelopathy. Section Ill-Ecological Aspects (Chapters 16-22), illustrates the signifi-cance of ecological studies in allelochemical research, and discusses the important role that the soil environment plays in the functioning of allelochemicals. Section IV-Biochemical, Chemical and Physiological Aspects (Chapters 23-30), discusses biochemical, molecular, and physiological aspects of allelopathy, including information on modes of action of allelochemicals in allelopathy. Allelochemicals have been successfully used in biocontrol of plant pathogens and weeds. This important applied aspect of allelochemistry is discussed under Section V-Biological Control of Plant Disease and Weeds: Applied Aspects (Chapters 31-34). Thus, in totality, the book illustrates the processes, procedures, and applications related to allelochemicals.

Studies on molecular biology of pathogens, infection process and disease resistance, have provided information essentially required to understand the vulnerable stages at which the pathogens can be tackled effectively and to adopt novel strategies to incorporate disease resistance genes from diverse sources and /or to induce resistance of cultivars with desirable agronomic attributes using biotic or abiotic agents. The nature of interaction between the gene products of the pathogen and plant appears to determine the outcome of the interaction resulting in either disease progression or suppression. Transgenic plants with engineered genes show promise for effective exploitation of this approach for practical application. Research efforts during the recent years to sequence the whole genomes of the pathogens and plants may lead to development of better ways of manipulating disease resistance mechanisms enabling the grower to achieve higher production levels and the consumer to enjoy safer food and agricultural products. Experimental protocols included in appropriate chapters will be useful for researchers and graduate students.