Plant pathology : concepts and laboratory exercises

Designed to reinforce ideas, encourage active participation in learning, and develop critical thinking skills, this book provides students with the basics of plant pathology and serves as a good "refresher" for researchers and other professionals. It leads the reader through the concepts of what is plant disease, what are pathogens, different groups of pathogens, how plants defend themselves, control measures, biological control, and careers in plant pathology. Authored by recognized experts in the field, chapters are presented in easy-to-understand language and formats. Each chapter ends with a summary of the most important ideas, lab-exercises with general expected results, and thought provoking questions.

Part 1: Introductory Concepts Plant pathology and historical perspectives What is a disease Introduction to plant pathogens Part 2: Groups of Plant Pathogens Plant pathogenic viruses Mechanical inoculation of plant viruses Pathogenic prokaryotes Laboratory exercises for plant pathogenic bacteria Plant parasitic nematodes Pathogenicity and isolation of plant parasitic nematodes Plant pathogenic fungi Slime molds and zoosporic fungi Laboratory exercises with zoosporic plant pathogens Archiascomycete and Hemiascomycete pathogens The powdery mildews Ascomycota: the filamentous fungi forming perithecia, apothecia and ascostromata Deuteromycota: the imperfect fungi Laboratory exercises illustrating some fungi in the Deuteromycota Smut and rust diseases Fleshy and other Basidiomycetes Oomycota: the fungi-like organisms Laboratory exercise with Oomycetes Parasitic seed plants, protozoa, algae and mosses Abiotic diseases Part 3: Molecular Tools for Studying Plant Pathogens Studying the ecology, systematics and evolution of plant pathogens at the molecular level Molecular techniques used for studying systematics and evolution of plant pathogens IV. Plant - Pathogen Interactions Pathogen attack strategies Detecting and measuring extracellular enzymes of fungi and bacteria Host defenses Disruption of plant function Part 5: Epidemiology and Disease Control Plant disease epidemiology Host resistance Cultural control of plant diseases Chemical control of plant diseases Biological control of plant pathogens Integrated pest management (IPM) Plant disease diagnosis Diagnostic techniques and media preparation Part 6: Special topic In vitro plant pathology Part 7: Appendices Careers in plant pathology Plant pathology websites Part 8: Glossary Part 9: Index