University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore

This book has been written for an advance undergraduate course in Plant pathology. So far, the curricula of Indian universities awarding Degree in Agriculture have been lacking the teaching of principles of plant pathology. In most of the universities in India the undergraduate syllabus in plant pathology has remained static, there being no change in contents taught during the last 30 years or more. The teaching of plant pathology still includes only the symptoms, morphology or life-cycle of the pathogen, and its control base on old knowledge. The essential principles for understanding these aspects of plant pathology are kept away from the students at the undergraduate level. As a result the student fails to make practical use of his earned knowledge when required to do so.

Introduction -- History of plant pathology --Causes of plant diseases -- Symptoms and identification of plant diseases -- Pathogenesis -- Survival of plant pathogens -- Dispersal of plant pathogens -- The phenomenon of infection -- Epidemiology -- Effects of infection on the host -- Role of toxins in plant pathogenesis -- Defence mechanisms in plants -- Genetic variability in plant pathogens -- Genetics and molecular basis of host-parasite interaction -- Effect of environments on pathogenesis -- Assessment of Disease incidence, severity and loss -- Disease management - principles -- Disease management - The practice