Fusarium wilt of banana: some history and current status of the disease; Importante of fusarium wilt in different banana-growing regions; Taxonomy of fungi in the genus fusarium with emphasis on fusarium oxysporum; Genetic exchange within sexual and asexual populations of the genus fusarium; Molecular genetics of plant pathogenic fusarium oxysporum; Using karyotype variability to investigate the origins and relatednes of isolates of fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense; Population biology of fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense; Biological control of diseases caused by fusarium oxysporum; Influence of mineral nutrition on fusarium wilt: a proposed mechanism involving cell water relations; Host responses to the pathogen; Banana breeding and fusarium wilt; Breeding bananas and plantains for resistance to fusariu m wilt: the track record; Somaclonal resistance in cavendish banana to fusarium wilt; Baseline tissue and cell culture studies for use in banana improvement schemes.

The hostsof Pseudomonas solanacearum; Diversity of Pseudomonas solanacearum and related bacteria in South East Asia: new directions for moko disease; advances in identification and detection of Pseudomonas solanacearum; Whole-genome analysis of Pseudomonads and its application to Pseudomonas solanacearum; Strain differential of Pseudomonas solanacearum by molecular genetic methods; Genomic figerprinting towards a unified view of the Pseudomonas solanacearum species complex; Strain characterization of Pseudomonas solanacearum based on membrane protein patterns; Systematics and phylogeny of Pseudomonas solanacearum: its molecular basis and potential function; Understanding bacterial wilt resistance in tomato through the use of DNA genetic markers; Advances in the control of Pseudomonas solanacearum race 1 in major food crops; Management of bacterial wilt of tobacco; Strategies for integrated control of bacteria vilt of potatoes; Resistance to bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum) in tomato: present status and prospects; Biological control of bacterial wilt caused by Pseudomonas solalacearum: state of the art and understanding; Like with a mutable and treacherous tribe.

This report considers the biological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the pathogenicity of tobacco smoke. Many Surgeon General's reports have considered research findings on mechanisms in assessing the biological plausibility of associations observed in epidemiologic studies. Mechanisms of disease are important because they may provide plausibility, which is one of the guideline criteria for assessing evidence on causation. This report specifically reviews the evidence on the potential mechanisms by which smoking causes diseases and considers whether a mechanism is likely to be operative in the production of human disease by tobacco smoke. This evidence is relevant to understanding how smoking causes disease, to identifying those who may be particularly susceptible, and to assessing the potential risks of tobacco products.

Jointly published with INRA, Paris. Bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is a very destructive plant disease that attacks over 450 different species, including many of the most important economic crop plants. Often endemic, the bacterium transmits through the soil, penetrates the plant root system and eventually causes irreversible wilting and death. This book summarizes the current information on bacterial wilt for both the basic research community and for concerned professionals who are faced with the disease in the field, offering the latest approaches to diagnosis and control of the disease. Emphasis is placed on integrated and biologically sustainable control methods. Also presented is the most recent genetic/biochemical research exploring the interaction between the bacterium and its plant host at the molecular level.

Fungal Wilt Diseases of Plants focuses on wilt diseases caused by the fungal genera Verticillium, Fusarium, and Ceratocystis. Special attention is given to the interactions of physiological, biochemical, and anatomical factors, as these relate to pathogenesis and mechanisms of disease resistance. Organized into 16 chapters, this book begins with a description, in a historical perspective, of the major research themes in fungal wilt diseases. It then looks into the worldwide status of this plant disease. The three subsequent chapters describe the epidemiology and life cycle of the major fungal wilt pathogens in Fusarium, Verticillium, and Ceratocystis. This book also provides an in-depth view of the genetics and biochemistry of these pathogens; the nature of pathogenesis and the effects of wilt pathogens on host-water relations; and the sources and genetics of host resistance in field and fruit crops, vegetable crops, and shade trees. Other chapters are dedicated to the biochemistry, physiology, and the anatomical aspects of resistance and to the progress in the biological and chemical control of these pathogens. This text will be of great value to graduate students and senior research scientists in plant pathology, physiology, and biochemistry, who are specifically involved in studying wilt diseases and host-parasite interactions. It will provide them the detailed background information needed to supplement their specialized research interests.

The bacterial wilt diseases caused by members of the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex have never been more important. The research presented in this volume reveals a pathogen on the move, with a growing global profile. While these diseases inflict ongoing and increasing crop losses on subsistence farmers, the pathogen now has significant political and economic impact in the developed world.This book, based on the 3rd International Bacterial Wilt Symposium, covers topics ranging from the basic biology of the host-pathogen interaction to applied research, designed to immediately address disease losses in the field. Contributors to the book span a broad range of applied and basic biologists. They work in all parts of the world, offering current data on sustainable low-tech disease control practices and on R. solanacearum as a model system for understanding molecular plant-microbe interactions.Bacterial Wilt Disease and the Ralstonia solanacearum Species Complex opens with two key reviews. One presents a thoughtful analysis of international collaborations on bacterial wilt research in the context of a review of literature published on the topic. The second is a global assessment of the current impact of bacterial wilt. Although there are still significant gaps in the data available, for the first time a general idea of the real impact and extent of these diseases around the world is presented.Topics covered in this resource include: epidemiology, disease management, breeding and deployment, host plant response and disease management, pathogen genetics, R. solanacearum in banana and plantains, and diversity and detection. Experts provide overviews focusing on the pressing research needs in each area. These overview chapters are intended to give the reader the best current understanding of the topic and to suggest promising directions for future research.Global Impact of R. solanacearum:R. solanacearum is a contentious topic in agricultural trade negotiations in the European Union and is subject to strict quarantine and eradication regulations in the United States. This legislation has had unforeseen economic impacts on laborers in developing nations where millions of ornamental plant cuttings are produced for the North American and European markets. In addition, reports at the 3rd International Bacterial Wilt Symposium indicated that the most rapid and alarming increases in bacterial wilt disease incidence around the world are on potatoes, bananas and plantains. More than ever, scientists who work with this pathogen must recognize that although bacterial wilt certainly can cause severe crop losses on a local scale, it also plays a complex and significant role in the worldwide agricultural matrix.