The annual losses due to pests to all crops in India was estimated at Rs 60,000 million in 1983, which is at today's prices 200,000 million.

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 significantly increased attracting even multinationals into floriculture, processing and value added products. Productivity of horticultural crops in India is relatively low compared to other countries. Of the several factors responsible for lower productivity of horticultural crops, pests (insect, mite and vertebrate pests) are considered as important limiting factors. The annual losses due to pests to all the crops in India was estimated at Rs. 60,000 million in 1983, which at today’s prices could exceed Rs. 200,000 million. The information on pests (insect, mite and vertebrate pests) in 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, damage, host range, biology, predisposing factors, and management of insect, mite and vertebrate pests 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 of horticultural crops. Further, it is a useful reference to policy makers, research and extension workers and students. The material can also be used for teaching undergraduate and post-graduate courses.

This book is a compilation of information on insect/mite/vertebrate pests and fungal/bacterial/viral/mycoplasma/nematode diseases of tropical root and tuber crops such as cassava, sweet potato, yams, taro, Amorphophallus, yam bean and tannia. The book highlights the distribution, symptoms and damage, biology, survival and spread of each pest and describes management methods. It also sheds light on different eco-friendly pest management strategies including physical, cultural, chemical, biological, host resistance and integrated methods. The book is written in a lucid style using easy-to-understand language and offers adoptable recommendations involving eco-friendly control measures. It serves as a useful reference source for policy makers, research and extension workers, practicing farmers and students. The material can also be used for teaching post graduate courses in state agricultural universities. .

Nematodes continue to threaten horticultural crops throughout the world, particularly in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Estimated overall average annual yield loss of the world's major horticultural crops due to damage by plant parasitic nematodes is 13.54%. Monetary losses due to nematodes on 10 horticultural crops, six of which are life sustaining were estimated at US$ 19.37 billion annually based on 1984 production figures and prices. These deleterious effects on plant growth result in reduced yields and poor quality of horticultural crops. Nematode management is therefore, important for high yields and quality that are required by the high cost of modern crop production. The information on nematode diseases and their management, especially crop wise, is very much scattered and there is no book which deals entirely with the above aspects on horticultural crops. This book deals with nematode diseases and their management in horticultural crops such as fruit, vegetable, orname-ntal, medicinal, aromatic, plantation, spice and tuber crops. Each nematode disease is described in adequate detail under the following heads: economic importance, crop losses, distribution, symptoms, hosts range, life cycle, races/ biotypes, host-parasite relationship, histopathology, ecology, spread, survival, interaction with other pathogens and management. The management methods presented includes regulatory, physical cultural, chemical, biological, host resistance and integrated approach. An entire chapter is devoted for sources of availability of critical inputs used for nematode management which would be very useful to the farmers. Very useful information on certain aspects of nematode management is presented in Appendix. The book is adequately illustrated with about 50 figures. This book is a practical guide to practicing farmers of horticultural crops. Further, it is a useful reference to policy makers, research and extension workers and students. The material can also be used for teaching under-graduate and post-graduate courses.

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.

Pest management for vegetable crops and safety provision for the pollinators is a challenging task in the context to increase vegetable productivity without upsetting the ecological balance. The book Pests and Pollinators of Vegetable and Oilseed Crops aims to integrate and develop pest control strategies by minimizing their impact on beneficial insect species such as natural enemies and pollinators for enhancing fruit production and quality. A detailed account is provided on pests and pollinators of oilseed crops such as Cruciferous, Solanaceous, Umbelliferous, Cucurbitaceous, Malvaceous, Leguminous and Alliaceae. The compilation of this book is unique as it does not deal only with the conventional way of pest management for different crops; it takes into consideration the role of pollinators and their profitable utilization in the larger context of ecologically based pest management and safety of pollinators. An exemplary attempt is made to promote a large, diverse, sustainable and dependable bee pollinator workforce that can meet the challenges of optimizing food production in the twenty-first century and beyond.

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