At the end of the book is a comprehensive list of nearly 1200 names historically associated with Alternaria since 1796, their current taxonomic placement, a host-substrate index, a general index, and an extensive literature cited section.

Species, formae speciales, and strains. Predisposing and age-conditioned influences on susceptibility. Sporulation. Infection. The biotic and physiological components of pathogenesis. Survival and overseasoning. Dispersal. The effect of weather on epidemics. Forecasters, simulators, and control. Crop and yield losses. Resistance and breeding. Alternaria pathogens and diseases. The hypothesis of ecological and physiological affinities between pthogenic alternarias.

This book deals with the various aspects viz., the disease, geographical distribution, symptoms on different hosts, host range, yield losses, and disease assessment method, while detailed description on pathogen include taxonomic position, phylogeny, variability, sporulation, perpetuation, and spore germination, host-parasite interactions in the form of seed infection, disease cycle, process of infection, and pathogenesis, epidemiology, forecasting, fine structures, biochemical changes, and phytotoxins, host defence mechanism, techniques to study host-parasite relationships, and management practices including cultural, chemical, biological control practices, and deployment of host resistance. The last section deals with gaps in our understanding, and knowledge about management of these diseases, techniques for the diagnosis of disease and offer suggestions for future research priorities. Each aspect has been vividly illustrated with photographs, histograms, figures, tables, electron micrographs for stimulating, effective and easy reading and understanding. We are sure that this comprehensive encyclopaedic treatise on "Alternaria diseases of crucifers” will be of immense use to the researchers, teachers, students and all others who are interested in the diagnosis and management of Alternaria diseases of crucifers world over. Four species of Alternaria are wide spread and most devastating on cruciferous oil yielding crops, vegetables, forage crops, ornamental plants, and numerous weeds all over the world. The damage to the plants is in the form of infections on seed in the soil during sowing, on seedlings during emergence and growth, on stem, leaves, inflorescence, pods and finally to the seed causing yield losses in seed quantity and quality.