Population Biology Of Plant Pathogens

Population genetic analysis has provided fresh insights leading to revisions in disease cycles and control methods for many important pathogens. In this course clear explanations are provided for the five evolutionary forces (mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, reproduction system, and selection) and many examples are presented illustrating how these forces operate alone and in combination to determine the genetic structure of populations of plant pathogens. In addition, the final section of the course shows how to apply knowledge of pathogen population genetics to improve management of plant diseases.Population Genetics of Plant Pathogens CD-Rom is an excellent educational aid for training the next generation of plant pathologists as well as better informing the current generation of plant health practitioners. Plant Pathology students, teachers, and professionals; instructors and practitioners of Plant Breeding; and departments of Plant Pathology and Agronomy will all benefit from the expert knowledge provided in this new teaching tool.

Biological balance. The biological world. Attributes of a successful parasite. Types of biological interactions. Man, the disrupter of balance. The changing scene. Factors involved in biological control. A plant pathologist's definition of biological control. Comparative approaches to biological control of plant pathogens and insects. Applying biological control. Biological control in plant pathology. The stature of biological control of plant pathogens. Resident antagonists. Managing the biological balance. Biological control by resident organisms and introduced organisms. Host resistance. Ecological manipulation to control weed molds and pathogens of mushrooms. Approaches to biological control with antagonistic microorganisms. Selecting soil as a source of antagonists. Antagonistic populations of whole soils. Presumptive tests of antagonists in agar culture. Tests in soil. Testing mixtures of antagonists. Plant of action. Role of the pathogen in biological control. Ways the pathogen can overcome antagonism. Vulnerability during dormancy and saprophytic growth. Populations of soilborne pathogenic fungi that produce disease. Stimulation of antagonists by the pathogen. Control of nematodes by altering the sex ratio. Role of the antagonist in biological control. Biological efficiency of saprophytic organisms. Kinds of antagonists. Forms of antagonism. The ideal antagonist. Inoculation with avirulent organisms related to the pathogen. Recontamination of soil. Biological buffering by resident antagonists. Role of the host in biological control. Root dynamics. Physical and chemical features of the rhizosphere. Root exudation and the rhizosphere effect. Cropping history and the microbiological balance of soil. Plant residues. The host as a reservoir of inoculum. Decoy, trap, and inhibitory plants. Role of the physical environment in biological control. environment operative through the host and during dormancy of the pathogen. Environment operative during growth of the pathogen. Using environment for prediction. Using environment to nudge the biological balance. Integration between biological and chemical control. Biological control of pathogens of aerial parts. Microorganisms on aerial parts. Pathogens on aerial parts. Exudation to external surfaces. Natural dissemination of epiphytes. Whither biological control?. Stage in pathogen cycle to apply biological control. Agroecosystems in relation to biological control. Applying, activating, or assisting antagonists. Large-scale production of antagonists. Integrated control. Why biological control?. The role of biological control in plant pathology.

Fungi are among the most versatile and diverse groups of organisms in their morphology, life cycles, and ecology. This has provided endless fasci nation and intrigue to those who have studied fungi, but it has also made it difficult to understand fungal biology from the perspective of the broader fields of evolution, ecology, genetics, and population biology. That is changing. Details of fungal biology have been elucidated at an exciting pace, increasingly allowing us to understand fungi on the bases of general biological principles. Moreover, many who study fungi have lately emulated some of the great mycologists and plant pathologists of the early years in applying an insight born of broad perspective. This change has been particularly apparent in fungal population biology. In this book, many of those at the forefront of that change summarize, integrate and comment on recent developments and ideas on populations of fungi. By taking a broad perspective, they show how new information on fungi may contribute to concepts and ideas of biology as a whole. Just as important, they contribute to further invigoration of fungal population research by illuminating mycology with new ideas and concepts, derived in part from other biological fields.

An updated guide to plant pathogens and their management The impact of plant disease is far-reaching. Its effects are felt not only in the spheres of agriculture and horticulture, but also in human health and wellbeing. The challenges of population growth, climate change and global food security all increase the need to protect crops from disease and reduce the losses caused by plant pathogens. This requires ongoing research and novel solutions, making the detailed analysis offered by Plant Pathology and Plant Pathogens more relevant than ever. Striking a balance between laboratory- and field-based aspects of its subject, this revised fourth edition of the text places plant disease in a wide biological context. Its contents cover causal agents and diagnosis, host–pathogen interactions, and disease management, including breeding for resistance, chemical, biological and integrated control. New to this edition are updated sections on molecular epidemiology, biosecurity, pathogenomics, and the biotechnological advances that are helping scientists make great strides in the fight against plant disease. Authored by a leading authority on plant pathology Offers new coverage of recent advances in molecular genetics and genomics, biotechnology, and plant breeding Places emphasis on interaction biology and biological concepts, such as immunity and comparisons with animal systems Includes access to a supplementary website featuring slides of all figures in the book Plant Pathology and Plant Pathogens is an ideal textbook for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in biology, botany, agricultural sciences, applied microbiology, plant-microbe interactions, and related subjects. It will also be a practical and enlightening resource for professionals in agricultural institutions, along with crop consultants seeking additional training or information.

This book, written in 1977, brought together for the first time, the current knowledge of plants that might be relevant to understanding their population biology. ¿This monumental volume did more than summarize the state of plant biology; ¿it linked the conceptual and theoretical developments in population ecology, mostly derived from the study of animals, with field observations and experimental evidence of population regulation and life history evolution in plants. ¿ ¿The field of population biology was already well established in the 1960s although with a clear zoocentric emphasis, however, it is because of Harper¿s work that the field experienced a veritable explosion, reached maturity and became a mainstream scientific endeavour worldwide. This field is so vast now that it would be pointless, if not impossible, for someone to summarise it. It is precisely because of this that PBP is as relevant now as it was in 1977. John Harper¿s style of highlighting unanswered questions and the limitations of both theory and empirical evidence served and still serves as foundation for research agendas worldwide. Much remains to be done in this field and this alone makes PBP an essential element in the library of every student/researcher of population biology, whether interested in plants or animals.¿ From the ¿Preface to the 2010 Printing¿ written by José Sarukhán, Rodolfo Dirzo and Miguel Franco.