This book reviews developments in the molecular biology of plant-nematode interactions that have been driven by the application of genomics tools. The book will be of interest to postgraduate students and to researchers with an interest in plant nematology and/or plant pathology more generally. A series of introductory chapters provide a biological context for the detailed reviews of all areas of plant-nematode interactions that follow and ensure that the bulk of the book is accessible to the non-specialist. A final section aims to show how these fundamental studies have provided outputs of practical relevance.

Large parts of the continents are covered by a green blanket of living plants. From an insect's point of view this green blanket is not uniform, but consists of a mosaic of resources of variable quality and with various levels of noxious secondary compounds. It is the challenge of phytophagous insects to orientate and reproduce within this mosaic of resources and among hostile competitors and natural enemies. The International Symposia on Insect-Plant Relationships (SIP) provides fora where scientists from different fields (mainly in biology and chemistry) meet and discuss the most recent findings which contribute to our understanding of the complex interactions between plants and insects. The meetings seek to unravel basic mechanisms as well as applied aspects. It is recognized that human activities now have major influence on virtually all the world's ecosystems, and a better understanding of the dynamics of insect-plant interactions may be useful for development of new crop protection strategies and for coping with the threatening loss of biodiversity.

The 11th International Symposium on Insect-Plant Relationships (SIP11), held on August 4-10, 2001, in Helsingor, Denmark, followed the tradition of previous SIP meetings and covered topics of different levels from chemistry, physiology, and ethology to ecology, genetics, and evolution of insect-plant relationships. The present volume includes a representative selection of fully refereed papers as well as a complete list of all the contributions which were presented at the meeting. Reviews of selected topics as well as original experimental data are included. The book provides valuable information for students and research workers interested in chemical and biological aspects of interactions between individuals and populations of different organisms. "

A great deal of effort is being invested in understanding the molecular mechanisms through which plants interact with pathogenic microbes. In Plant Immunity: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field describe emerging technologies that can be applied to the most significant outstanding questions faced by scientists studying immunity in plants. The technologies in this detailed volume include methods for examining protein localization, protein complex purification, protein-protein interactions, transient and inducible gene expression, chromatin immunoprecipitation, microaspiration, laser microdissection, purification of fungal haustoria, and genetic manipulation of bacterial and oomycete pathogens. These techniques are applicable to a wide range of topics, including molecular functionality of NB-LRR proteins and other immune signaling components, and functional characterization of effector proteins and other pathogen components that sabotage host immunity. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Feeding on Non-Prey Resources by Natural Enemies Moshe Coll Reports on the consumption of non-prey food sources, particularly plant materials, by predators and parasitoids are common throughout the literature (reviewed recently by Naranjo and Gibson 1996, Coll 1998a, Coll and Guershon, 2002). Predators belonging to a variety of orders and families are known to feed on pollen and nectar, and adult parasitoids acquire nutrients from honeydew and floral and extrafloral nectar. A recent publication by Wackers et al. (2005) discusses the p- visioning of plant resources to natural enemies from the perspective of the plant, exploring the evolutionary possibility that plants enhance their defenses by recru- ing enemies to food sources. The present volume, in contrast, presents primarily the enemies' perspective, and as such is the first comprehensive review of the nut- tional importance of non-prey foods for insect predators and parasitoids. Although the ecological significance of feeding on non-prey foods has long been underappreciated, attempts have been made to manipulate nectar and pollen ava- ability in crop fields in order to enhance levels of biological pest control by natural enemies (van Emden, 1965; Hagen, 1986; Coll, 1998a). The importance of n- prey foods for the management of pest populations is also discussed in the book."

Plant diseases can have an enormous impact on our lives. In a world where total crop failure can quickly lead to human misery and starvation, accurate diagnostics play a key role in keeping plants free from pathogens. In Plant Pathology: Techniques and Protocols, expert researchers provide methods which are vital to the diagnosis of plant diseases across the globe, addressing all three categories of plant pathology techniques: traditional, serological, and nucleic acid. Chapters examine recent and developing issues with crop identity and authenticity, allowing workers to genotype samples from two major food groups. Composed in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, each chapter contains a brief introduction, step-by-step methods, a list of necessary materials, and a Notes section which shares tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and reader-friendly, Plant Pathology: Techniques and Protocols is an incredible guide which will soon prove to be indispensable, both to novices and expert researchers alike."

It is my privilege to contribute the foreword for this unique volume entitled: "Plant Tissue Culture Engineering," edited by S. Dutta Gupta and Y. Ibaraki. While there have been a number of volumes published regarding the basic methods and applications of plant tissue and cell culture technologies, and even considerable attention provided to bioreactor design, relatively little attention has been afforded to the engineering principles that have emerged as critical contributions to the commercial applications of plant biotechnologies. This volume, "Plant Tissue Culture Engineering," signals a turning point: the recognition that this specialized field of plant science must be integrated with engineering principles in order to develop efficient, cost effective, and large scale applications of these technologies. I am most impressed with the organization of this volume, and the extensive list of chapters contributed by expert authors from around the world who are leading the emergence of this interdisciplinary enterprise. The editors are to be commended for their skilful crafting of this important volume. The first two parts provide the basic information that is relevant to the field as a whole, the following two parts elaborate on these principles, and the last part elaborates on specific technologies or applications.

Biological control is among the most promising methods for control of pests, diseases and weeds, and this book treats ecological and societal aspects together for the first time. The aim is to evaluate the significance of certain biological properties like biodiversity and natural habitats. In a societal approach terms like 'consumer's attitude', 'risk perception', 'learning and education' and 'value triangle' are recognized as significant for biological production and human welfare.

A state-of-the-art overview of the intricate functional virus/host relationships that allow a virus or viroid to move cell-to-cell and systemically through the plant, as well as from plant to plant, and, thus, to spread infection. The book also illustrates the mechanisms by which viruses overcome plant defence responses, such as RNA silencing. Arabidopsis is used as an illustration of a plant host eminently suitable for genetic approaches to identify novel players in plant/virus interactions.

This volume focuses on integrated pest and disease management (IPM/IDM) and biocontrol of some key diseases of perennial and annual crops. It continues a series originated during a visit of prof. K. G. Mukerji to the CNR Plant Protection Institute in Bari (Italy), in November 2005. Both editors aim at a series of five volumes embracing, in a multi-disciplinary approach, advances and achievements in the practice of crop protection, for a wide range of plant parasites and pathogens. Two volumes of the series were already produced, dedicated to general concepts in IPM and to management and biocontrol of nematodes of grain crops and vegetables. This Volume deals, in particular, with diseases due to bacteria, phytoplasma and fungi. Every day, in any agroecosystem, farmers face problems related to plant diseases. Since the beginning of agriculture, indeed, and probably for a long time in the future, farmers will continue to do so. Every year, plant diseases cause severe losses in the global production of food and other agricultural commodities, worldwide. Plant diseases are not limited to episodic events occurring in single farms or crops, and should not be regarded as single independent cases, affecting only farms on a local scale. The impact of plant disease epidemics on food shortage ignited, in the last two centuries, deep cultural, social and demographic changes, affecting million human beings, through i. e. migration, death and hunger.

The second volume of the IMPD series describes aspects related to the most important phytoparasitic nematodes, considering the integration of biological control methods with other management practices and technologies, including the use of predatory nematodes and microbial rhizosphere antagonists. A focus is given on regional issues. A review on nematode management in cotton is integrated by a chapter on management of nematodes on wheat. New technologies are also revised.

Phytohormones are very much involved in directing the plant growth, in a coordinated fashion in association with metabolism that provides energy and the building blocks to develop the form that we recognize as plant. Out of the recognized hormones, attention has largely been focused on Auxins, Gibberellins, Cytokinins, Abscisic acid, Ethylene and more recently to Brassinosteroids. However, in this book we are providing the information about a natural chemical, Salicylic Acid, that could be raised to the status of the above phytohormones because it has significant impact on various aspects of the plant life.

Salicylic acid (SA) was first discovered as a major component in the extracts from Salix (willow) whose bark from ancient time, was used as an anti-inflammatory drug. This acid (SA) is a phenol, ubiquitous in plants generating a significant impact on plant growth and development, photosynthesis, transpiration, ion uptake and transport and also induces specific changes in leaf anatomy and chloroplast structure. SA is recognized as an endogenous signal, mediating in plant defence, against pathogens.

This book includes contributions made by various experts, spread over the world. Since the work on Salicylic Acid is currently rather scattered it was thought prudent to draw this all together in one volume. This will naturally facilitate a ready reference of the material to students and researchers, alike.

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is unquestionably a major threat to forest ecosystems worldwide. After seriously affecting Eastern Asian countries, the challenge is now in Europe, following its detection in Portugal in 1999 and its subsequent spread. For foresters, these were really very bad news and, in order for adequate action to be taken, scientists had to teach politicians about the seriousness of the problem. That is never an easy task, but it was successfully done at that time, mainly by the continued effort of Professor Manuel Mota. The challenge of having political decisions based on good science is fundamental for the success of any program, but especially in dif?cult situations such as those arising by the introduction of harmful organisms in new ecosystems. The success of the dialogue between science and policy requires intelligent partners from each side, which is not always necessarily the case... Examples of lack of recognition of problems raised by science are unfortunately abundant throughout the history of science. The recent recognition of the efforts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore with the - bel Prize, and the continued failure in taking appropriate actions by major political players is a dramatic modern example of the dif?culty of this dialogue...

The main theme of the book is sustainable disease management in a European context. Some of the questions addressed are: How does society benefit from plant pathology research? How can new molecular approaches solve relevant problems in disease management? What other fields can we exploit in plant pathology research? What challenges are associated with free trade across the new borders? How can we contribute to solving problems of developing countries? How does plant pathology contribute to food quality and safety? How does globalization/internationalization affect teaching and extension in plant pathology?

Soybean genomics is of great interest as one of the most economically important crops and a major food source. This book covers recent advances in soybean genome research, including classical, RFLP, SSR, and SNP markers; genomic and cDNA libraries; functional genomics platforms; genetic and physical maps; and gene expression profiles. The book is for researchers and students in plant genetics and genomics, plant biology and pathology, agronomy, and food sciences.

Agrobacterium is a plant pathogen which causes the "crown-gall" disease, a neoplastic growth that results from the transfer of a well-defined DNA segment ("transferred DNA," or "T-DNA") from the bacterial Ti (tumor-inducing) plasmid to the host cell, its integration into the host genome, and the expression of oncogenes contained on the T-DNA. The molecular machinery, needed for T-DNA generation and transport into the host cell and encoded by a series of chromosomal (chv) and Ti-plasmid virulence (vir) genes, has been the subject of numerous studies over the past several decades. Today, Agrobacterium is the tool of choice for plant genetic engineering with an ever expanding host range that includes many commercially important crops, flowers, and tree species. Furthermore, its recent application for the genetic transformation of non-plant species, from yeast to cultivated mushrooms and even to human cells, promises this bacterium a unique place in the future of biotechnological applications.

The book is a comprehensive volume describing Agrobacterium's biology, interactions with host species, and uses for genetic engineering.

Simply put, allelopathy refers to an ecological phenomenon of plant-plant interference through release of organic chemicals (allelochemicals) in the environment. These chemicals can be directly and continuously released by the donor plants in their immediate environment as volatiles in the air or root exudates in soil or they can be the microbial degradation products of plant residues. The chemicals may interfere with survival and growth of neighboring or succeeding plants. Black walnut, eucalyptus, sunflower, sorghum, sesame and alfalfa are common examples of plants with allelopathic property as well as some staple crops such as rice, wheat, barley and sorghum. Plants can emit chemicals that also discourage insects and pathogens. To maintain sustained productivity, knowledge of this form of plant interference on other plants and on disease causing organisms has been used in agriculture since prehistoric time by manipulating cropping pattern and sequence such as mixed cropping and crop rotation. However, use of numerous agrochemicals including a wide range of herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and genetically modified high yielding crops has become the characteristic feature of modern industrial agriculture. Not only the sustainability of crop yield is called into question in this form of agriculture, the extensive long-term and often irreversible environmental degradation including ground water contamination and food safety associated with industrial agriculture are now of serious concern worldwide.

The objective is to report on the latest advances in allelopathy by inviting leading scientists to contribute in specific fields. The volume is organized under three major subsections: History of allelopathy, Allelochemicals, allelopathic mechanisms, and bioassays, and Application of allelopathy in agriculture and forestry. An emphasis is place on methodology and application, making it a truly practical reference.

Mycorrhizal fungi are microbial engines which improve plant vigor and soil quality. They play a crucial role in plant nutrient uptake, water relations, ecosystem establishment, plant diversity, and the productivity of plants. Scientific research involves multidisciplinary approaches to understand the adaptation of mycorrhizae to the rhizosphere, mechanism of root colonization, effect on plant physiology and growth, biofertilization, plant resistance and biocontrol of plant pathogens. This book discusses and goes into detail on a number of topics: the molecular basis of nutrient exchange between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and host plants; the role of AM fungi in disease protection, alleviation of soil stresses and increasing grain production; interactions of AM fungi and beneficial saprophytic mycoflora in terms of plant growth promotion; the role of AM fungi in the restoration of native ecosystems; indirect contributions of AM fungi and soil aggregation to plant growth and mycorrhizosphere effect of multitrophic interaction; the mechanisms by which mycorrhizas change a disturbed ecosystem into productive land; the importance of reinstallation of mycorrhizal systems in the rhizosphere is emphasized and their impact on landscape regeneration, and in bioremediation of contaminated soils; Ectomycorrhizae (ECM) and their importance in forest ecosystems and associations of ECM in tropical rain forests function to maintain tropical monodominance; in vitro mycorrhization of micro-propagated plants, and visualizing and quantifying endorhizal fungi; the use of mycorrhizae, mainly AM and ECM, for sustainable agriculture and forestry.

Advances in Rice Blast Research provides a complete overview of the research undertaken on the rice-blast pathosystem. This book gathers in one volume the most recent works on rice blast fungus genetics and molecular biology of pathogenicity, rice blast fungus population studies, and genetics and molecular biology of rice resistance to blast, including resistance gene cloning. It also presents the latest results on resistance breeding and resistance management strategies, epidemiology and disease management. This book is a must for plant pathologists and breeders working on rice blast and also to plant pathologists and breeders dealing with fungal diseases in general, because the rice-blast pathosystem is a model in plant pathology. Advances in Rice Blast Research provides a complete overview of the research undertaken on the rice-blast pathosystem. This book gathers in one volume the most recent works on rice blast fungus genetics and molecular biology of pathogenicity, rice blast fungus population studies, and genetics and molecular biology of rice resistance to blast, including resistance gene cloning. It also presents the latest results on resistance breeding and resistance management strategies, epidemiology and disease management. This book is a must for plant pathologists and breeders working on rice blast and also to plant pathologists and breeders dealing with fungal diseases in general, because the rice-blast pathosystem is a model in plant pathology.

This book is based mainly on invited and offered papers presented at the Second International Symposium on Bacterial and Bacteria-like Contaminants of Plant Tissue Cultures held at University College, Cork, Ireland in September 1996, with additional invited papers. The First International Symposium on Bacterial and Bacteria-like Contaminants of Plant Tissue Cultures was held at the same venue in 1987 and was published as Acta Horticulturae volume 225, 1988. In the intervening years there have been considerable advances in both plant disease diagnostics and in the development of structured approaches to the management of disease and microbial contamination in micropropagation. These approaches have centred on attempts to separate, spatially, the problems of disease transmission and laboratory contamination. Disease-control is best achieved by establishing pathogen-free cultures while laboratory contamination is based on subsequent good working practice. Control of losses due to pathogens and microbial contamination in vitro addresses, arguably, the most importance causes of losses in the industry; nevertheless, losses at and post establishment can also be considerable due to poor quality microplants or micro-shoots. In this symposium, a holistic approach to pathogen and microbial contamination control is evident with the recognition that micropropagators must address pathogen and microbial contamination in vitro, and diseases and microplant failure at establishment. There is increasing interest in establishing beneficial bacterial and mycorrhizal association with microplants in vitro and in vivo.

This book provides a comprehensive look at the field of plant virus evolution. It is the first book ever published on the topic. Individual chapters, written by experts in the field, cover plant virus ecology, emerging viruses, plant viruses that integrate into the host genome, population biology, evolutionary mechanisms and appropriate methods for analysis. It covers RNA viruses, DNA viruses, pararetroviruses and viroids, and presents a number of thought-provoking ideas.

Research on the interactions of plants and phytopathogenic fungi has become one of the most interesting and rapidly moving fields in the plant sciences, the findings of which have contributed tremendously to the development of new strategies of plant protection. This book offers insight into the state of present knowledge. Special emphasis is placed on recognition phenomena between plants and fungi, parasitization strategies employed by the phytopathogenic fungi, the action of phytotoxins, the compatibility of pathogens with host plants and the basic resistance of non-host plants as well as cultivar-specific resistance of host plants. Special attention is paid to the gene-for-gene hypothesis for the determination of race-specific resistance, its molecular models and to the nature of race non-specific resistance as well as the population dynamics of plants and the evolution of their basic resistance.

Containing an extensive range of photographs and authored by leading horticultural experts, "Diseases of Temperate Horticultural Plants" is an indispensable reference work for horticultural professionals, academics, students and crop producers as well as amateur horticulturists. The diseases of major crops are presented according to their classification, and the symptoms of each disease, causal pathogen and control measures for each condition are described. The crops covered include the major temperate horticultural crops, organized into easy-to-navigate sections divided into fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. Within fruits, apples and pears are discussed, as well as ribes and berries, cherries, peaches and plums, nut crops and rhubarb. The vegetable section covers salad crops, brassicas and crucifers, cucurbits, root vegetables, bulb crops, solanaceous vegetables and some herbs. The section on ornamental plants includes a wide range of ornamental garden plants, while a further section discusses diseases of turf grass and ornamental lawns. The book is user-friendly with practical, accessibly written entries organized into discrete sections. The comprehensive nature of this work makes it an invaluable addition to any horticulturist s library with content that will remain current for years to come."

In the summer of 1997 some twelve lecturers and sixty students met for ten days in Budapest Hungary in a NATO Advanced Studies Institute (ASI) to consider "New Scientific and Technical Aspects of Verification of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention." In many ways the meeting was ahead of its time. The Ad Hoc Group was only then about to move to the discussion of a rolling text of the Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). It had been mandated to negotiate the Protocol by the Special Conference which had considered the work of the VEREX process that had taken place following the 1991 Third Review Conference of the Convention. Now, in late 1999, after much further negotiation of the text of the Protocol we are moving towards the endgame of the negotiations. Nevertheless, the scientific and technical issues discussed in the ASI in Hungary continue to be of direct relevance to the verification of the Convention and will continue to be relevant as the eventual Protocol moves from agreement through a Preparatory Commission stage and into full implementation over the next several years. The papers in this volume are much as they were presented in Budapest both in order of presentation and in content. They were designed by the ASI co-directors, Professor Graham Pearson and Ambassador Tibor Toth (Chairman of the Ad Hoc Group) to provide an integrated overview and in-depth analysis of the issues at stake.

The family Trichodoridae was established by Thorne in 1935 but it remained of limited taxonomie interest until 1951 when Christie and Perry associated Trichodorus christie (now Paratrichodorus minor) with a "stubby root disease" that affected certain crops in Florida, USA and interest further increased from 1960 when P. pachydermus was implicated as a vector of the economically important tobacco raule virus. Such discoveries gave an impetus to studies on many aspects of the biology of trichodorid nematodes with a consequent proliferation of new species described from different parts of the world. The number of species increased from twelve in 1957 to a present day total exceeding eighty. This rapid expansion in the number of species was accompanied by several reappraisals of the taxonomy and systematies of the family, the most notable changes being the creation of the genus Paratrichodorus by Siddiqi in 1974 and the recognition of the monodelphic genera Monotrichodorus and Allotrichodorus respectively by Andrassy in 1976 and Rodriguez-M, Sher and Siddiqi in 1978. Reliable and unambiguous identification of taxa is dependent on the known reliability of a range of characters, whieh remains of paramount importance in taxonomy even when biochemical and molecular methodology is available. In this book each of the species, including synonyms and species inquirenda, that comprise the family Trichodoridae is re-described from meticulous mieroscopie examination of type specimens, material from official nematode collections and populations in the field.

Plant-Pathogen Interactions: Methods and Protocols provides key methods, approaches, and strategies to dissect the plant defense response. Addressing methods to identify and characterize plant resistance genes as well as pathogen-associated molecules that trigger the plant defense response, this volume creates a better understanding of the interactions between pathogens and their hosts, which will help to develop better methods for disease control in plants and animals.
Plant-Pathogen Interactions: Methods and Protocols reviews methods for engineering resistance to plant viruses, the utility of viral induced gene silencing and RNAi silencing, as well as advances in genomics and proteomics that have lead to new methods to identify genes and proteins. The protocols presented follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, each one offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and the avoidance of known pitfalls.
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