Horticulture in India is fast emerging as a major commercial venture, because of higher remuneration per unit area and the realization that consumption of fruits and vegetables is essential for health and nutrition. In the last one decade, export potential of horticultural crops has also significantly increased attracting even multinationals into floriculture, processing and value added products. Productivity of horticultural crops in India is relatively low as compared to other countries. Of the several factors responsible for lower productivity of horticultural crops, fungal diseases are considered as important limiting factors. Diseases of horticultural crops continue to cause losses of about 10% of the crop yields worth more than Rs. 15,000 crores annually. More than 9,600 MT of technical grade fungicides are used annually to manage the diseases in India. The information on fungal diseases of horticultural crops is very much scattered. There is no such book at present which comprehensively and exclusively deals with the above aspects on horticultural crops. The present book deals with geographical distribution, symptoms, host range, life cycle, spread, survival and management of fungal diseases in horticultural crops in detail using regulatory, physical, cultural, chemical, biological, host plant resistance and integrated methods. The book is extensively illustrated with excellent quality photographs enhancing the quality of publication. This book is a practical guide to practicing farmers, useful reference to policy makers, research and extension workers and teachers for teaching undergraduate and post-graduate students.

This book provides an overview of our current knowledge of some plant-pathogen interactions in economically important crops, emphasizing the importance of pathogenic fungi on fruits, cereals, postharvest crops and the establishment of plant diseases and drawing together fundamental new information on their management strategies based on conventional and eco-friendly methods, with an emphasis on the use of microorganisms and various biotechnological aspects of agriculture, which could lead to sustainability in modern agriculture. The book examines the role of microbes in growth promotion, as bioprotectors and bioremediators, and presents practical strategies for using microbes in sustainable agriculture. In addition, the use of botanicals vis-a-vis chemical pesticides is also reviewed. Contributions on new research fields such as mycorrhizas and endophytes are included. The book also examines in different chapters host-pathogen interactions in the light of the new tools and techniques of molecular biology and genetics.

The fungal genus Botrytis is the focus of intensive scientific research worldwide. The complex interactions between this pathogen and the plants it infects and the economic importance of the diseases caused by Botrytis (principally grey mould) on more than 1400 species of cultivated plants pre- and post-harvest, render this pathogen of particular interest to farmers, advisers, students and researchers in many fields worldwide. This 20-chapter book is a comprehensive treatise covering the rapidly developing science of Botrytis and reflecting the major developments in studies of this fungus. It will serve as a source of general information for specialists in agriculture and horticulture, and also for students and scientists interested in the biology of this fascinating, multifaceted phytopathogenic fungal species.

Fungal diseases have contributed to death and disability in humans, triggered global wildlife extinctions and population declines, devastated agricultural crops, and altered forest ecosystem dynamics. Despite the extensive influence of fungi on health and economic well-being, the threats posed by emerging fungal pathogens to life on Earth are often underappreciated and poorly understood. On December 14 and 15, 2010, the IOM's Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop to explore the scientific and policy dimensions associated with the causes and consequences of emerging fungal diseases.

This substantially updated edition now in full colour provides key techniques used when working with fungal and fungal-like plant pathogens. As a practical manual it also deals with disease recognition, detection and identification of fungi, plus methods to characterise and curate fungi and handle them under quarantine and quality assurance systems. Fungal Plant Pathogens: Applied Techniques, 2nd edition provides a valuable guide to investigating fungal plant diseases and interpreting laboratory findings for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students, extension plant pathologists, consultants and advisers in agriculture, forestry and horticulture, and the food supply chain.