Genetics and Breeding for Disease Resistance of Livestock is a solid resource that combines important information on the underlying genetic causes and governing factors for disease resistance in food animals and applications for breeding purposes. It describes genomics at each species level to help researchers and students understand disease resistance and immunology using genomics and its application in breeding for disease resistance. This useful reference makes it easy for readers to understand and undergo further research in immunology and disease resistance for livestock. It includes novel applications and research material that is ideal for students, teachers, academicians and researchers. - Presents basic principles and protocols to describe research methodologies through diagrammatic illustrations with figures, flow charts, examples, and references - Covers various disease occurrences in livestock and the methodologies available to identify the various pathogens responsible for these diseases - Includes advanced breeding techniques and practical applications

Addressing principles associated with breeding animals for enhanced health and resistance to specific diseases, this book provides a review of the field illustrated with examples covering many diseases of importance to livestock production, across all major livestock species. Authored by experts in the field, this updated edition covers techniques and approaches, viruses, TSEs, bacteria, parasites, vectors, and broader health issues seen in production systems, including metabolic diseases. The book will be an essential reference for professionals in the field, scientists and researchers, students, breeders, veterinarians, agricultural advisors and policy makers.

Studies in the Agricultural and Food Sciences: Plant Breeding for Pest and Disease Resistance presents a critical review of the development of resistant varieties of plant to pests and diseases. It discusses the economic impact of pests and diseases; the methods of controlling these pests and diseases; and the challenges being faced by a plant breeder. Some of the topics covered in the book are the general principles and methods of breeding for resistance; importance of parasite variability to the plant breeder; methods of testing for resistance; requirements for successful inoculation; production of resistant varieties; and economic importance of fungal diseases; and variability in fungal pathogen. Pathogenic fungi and fungal diseases are also covered. The control of fungal diseases by resistant varieties is discussed. An in-depth analysis of diseases in plants is provided. The characteristics of bacteria and bacterial diseases are also presented. A chapter is devoted to epidemiology of diseases associated with mycoplasma-like organisms and rickettsia-like organisms. The book can provide useful information to farmers, botanists, students, and researchers.

Human population is escalating at an enormous pace and is estimated to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. As a result, there will be an increase in demand for agricultural production by 60–110% between the years 2005 and 2050 at the global level; the number will be even more drastic in the developing world. Pathogens, animals, and weeds are altogether responsible for between 20 to 40 % of global agricultural productivity decrease. As such, managing disease development in plants continues to be a major strategy to ensure adequate food supply for the world. Accordingly, both the public and private sectors are moving to harness the tools and paradigms that promise resistance against pests and diseases. While the next generation of disease resistance research is progressing, maximum disease resistance traits are expected to be polygenic in nature and controlled by selective genes positioned at putative quantitative trait loci (QTLs). It has also been realized that sources of resistance are generally found in wild relatives or cultivars of lesser agronomic significance. However, introgression of disease resistance traits into commercial crop varieties typically involves many generations of backcrossing to transmit a promising genotype. Molecular marker-assisted breeding (MAB) has been found to facilitate the pre-selection of traits even prior to their expression. To date, researchers have utilized disease resistance genes (R-genes) in different crops including cereals, pulses, and oilseeds and other economically important plants, to improve productivity. Interestingly, comparison of different R genes that empower plants to resist an array of pathogens has led to the realization that the proteins encoded by these genes have numerous features in common. The above observation therefore suggests that plants may have co-evolved signal transduction pathways to adopt resistance against a wide range of divergent pathogens. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms necessary for pathogen identification and a thorough dissection of the cellular responses to biotic stresses will certainly open new vistas for sustainable crop disease management. This book summarizes the recent advances in molecular and genetic techniques that have been successfully applied to impart disease resistance for plants and crops. It integrates the contributions from plant scientists targeting disease resistance mechanisms using molecular, genetic, and genomic approaches. This collection therefore serves as a reference source for scientists, academicians and post graduate students interested in or are actively engaged in dissecting disease resistance in plants using advanced genetic tools.

This collection reviews advances in the key areas required to achieve durable disease resistance in cereal crops, from advances in understanding pathogen biology/epidemiology and plant pathogen interactions to identifying sources of resistance and advance techniques for breeding new varieties.

This book describes the most basic elements in plant pathogen interactions and defence strategies in plants. The scientific background is explained as far as it is relevant for breeders to make sensible choices in designing and running their breeding work. It may also be used as a manual for disease resistance breeding.

There is an increasing need for an understanding of the fundamental processes involved in the mechanisms by which disease resistances are introduced into crop plants. This book provides a wide-ranging coverage of the successes and failures of the classical techniques; it describes the advances towards modern technology and addresses the problems of pathogen variation. Crop plants that are considered include: cereals (wheat, barley, rice), potatoes, vegetables and soft fruits.