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.

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.

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.

Fungi of the genus Alternaria possess very intriguing characteristics. They are some of the most cosmopolitan in terms of both their biological environments, and as agricultural commodities. Some pathotypes of Alternaria produce host specific toxins, while numerous metabolites have been found to be toxic to humans and animals and as such are important food and feed contaminants of a significance not yet properly elucidated. This volume has been divided into two parts. In Part I, questions are presented regarding Alternaria ecology, nomenclature, identification, most important plant diseases and methods of their control. Important physico-chemical and biological properties, toxicology and biosynthesis of Alternaria metabolites are described in Part II. need to develop a more unified system of nomenclature within the genus. Alternaria infect numerous plant species and nearly all plant species of importance are recorded here. Examples of the most economically important diseases of such plants as cotton, vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, carrot and linseed are reviewed in detail. Epidemiology questions are described and most advanced research on the significance of host-specific Alternaria toxins in plant diseases is reviewed. Part II elucidates the important characteristics of Alternaria metabolites; their structures, spectra, producers, and biological properties. Over 70 Alternaria metabolites of diverse structure and biological activity are known. Most of them are produced only by the Alternaria species. This book is suitable for specialists as well as students of plant pathology, mycology and toxicology working in the fields of plant disease and toxic fungal metabolites.

Advances in Molecular Toxicology features the latest advances in the subspecialties of the broad area of molecular toxicology. This series details the study of the molecular basis of toxicology by which a vast array of agents encountered in the human environment and produced by the human body manifest themselves as toxins. The book is not strictly limited to documenting these examples, but also covers the complex web of chemical and biological events that give rise to toxin-induced symptoms and disease. The new technologies that are being harnessed to analyze and understand these events will also be reviewed by leading workers in the field.