This interesting handbook discusses 145 plant viruses in 27 groups and 31 unclassified viruses in naturally infected legumes. The viruses were observed in field infections of 281 species in 64 genera of the Leguminosae. The book presents information regarding resistance sources and resistance-breeding, vectors, seed transmission, and host ranges. Measurements of virus properties are organized in tabular form for particle dimensions, serological relationships, nucleic acid percentages, sedimentation coefficients of particles and nucleic acids, molecular weights of nucleic acids and coat proteins, optical density, and buoyant density. Handbook of Viruses Infecting Legumes is unique in that it relates inclusion cytology to plant virus detection, identification, and classification. Light and electron micrographs illustrate morphology, location, and staining reactions of inclusions. Of the 27 groups that contain viruses infecting legumes in nature, inclusions are diagnostic at the group level in 15 of these groups. Plant breeders, diagnosticians, plant virologists, and students of plant virology will find this an indispensable guide to legume viruses.

Seeds provide an efficient means in disseminating plant virus and viroid diseases. The success of modern agriculture depends on pathogen free seed with high yielding character and in turn disease management. There is a serious scientific concern about the transmission of plant viruses sexually through seed and asexually through plant propagules. The present book provides the latest information along with the total list of seed transmitted virus and viroid diseases at global level including, the yield losses, diagnostic techniques, mechanism of seed transmission, epidemiology and virus disease management aspects. Additional information is also provided on the transmission of plant virus and virus-like diseases through vegetative propagules. It is also well known that seed transmitted viruses are introduced into new countries and continents during large-scale traffic movements through infected germplasm and plant propogules. The latest diagnostic molecular techniques in different virus-host combinations along with disease management measures have been included. The book shall be a good reference source and also a text book to the research scientists, teachers, students of plant pathology, agriculture, horticulture, life sciences, green house managers, professional entrepreneurs, persons involved in quarantines and seed companies. This book has several important features of seed transmitted virus diseases and is a good informative source and thus deserves a place in almost all university libraries, seed companies and research organizations.

High-quality seed is essential for healthy crops and greater agricultural productivity. At the same time, advances in breeding technology require equivalent advances in seed technology. In order to ensure food security, it is crucial to develop seeds that are high yielding, and resistant to drought, heat, cold, and insects. Gathering the latest research in seed sciences, the book includes contributions on seed production in crops such as legumes, sugar, rice, wheat and other cereals. It discusses a range of topics, like the effect of climate change on seed quality, production and storage; seed rouging; seed certification for different crop species; seed biology; and seed pathologies and their effective management. Integrating basic and applied research, this compendium provides valuable insights for researchers and students in agricultural and life sciences; professionals involved in seed certification and those working in quarantine laboratories; as well as plant pathologists.

Forage crops are important for the economy of our country as these crops provide major nutritional base in the livestock ration. The National Commission on Agriculture has also emphasized in its report that in order to achieve the so-called ‘White Revolution’ it will be necessary to provide required emphasis on research relating to the improvement and management of forages. India’s average availability of milk per head per day comes to only 100 ml as against our requirement of 220 ml per day. With the increase in world human population and economic growth, the demand for animal products such as milk, meat and eggs in the human diet is bound to increase. The success of dairy and poultry programmes will largely depend on the availability of required forages and feeds since almost 60-65% investment is invariably on these essential requirements. A recent estimate indicates that the deficiency in total forage need is about 40% of dry forage and about 24% of green fodder. This deficit is likely to increase further as (i) the area under forage crop is declining because of the pressing problems of growing cereals and other cash crops to meet the increasing pressure of population growth, (ii) the animal population is increasing every year by almost 2% (iii) cultivable land is decreasing due to urbanization and industrial growth and (iv) forages in future are going to have competition from liquid fuel shortage. Recent interests in the development of technology for the economic conversion of cellulosic material to liquid fuels, however, have given rise to estimates of several hundred million metric tons of lignocellulosic material being used annually for their new developments. With the development of these technologies, the impact on ruminants production would be substantial, so there is going to be a vital challenge to meet the requirement of forages in the near future.

During the decade since the publication of the first edition of this important book, there has been a rapid advancement in the techniques of genetic engineering and molecular biology. In this edition Joseph Cooper takes those advances into account and includes such topics as gene therapy, immunosuppression and new viruses of human/veterinary significance. Much new information about virus transmission is also included and the most modern systems of virus taxonomy are used to emphasise the features shared between viruses in plants, animals and bacteria. This is the only book of its type which covers viruses in all forms of life.