The First Comprehensive Book on Plant Pathogens and Their Management in Irrigation Systems
Plant pathogens in irrigation water pose a major threat to crops, and the cost of managing them is high. The latest comprehensive knowledge on these pathogens—as well as how to detect and manage them—is crucial for farms, nurseries, greenhouses, and other crop-based systems that use irrigation.
Enter Biology, Detection, and Management of Plant Pathogens in Irrigation Water, the first title of its kind. In one place, this comprehensive 420+ page book compiles biological information on the many pathogens found in irrigation water, as well as practical information needed to detect and manage these pathogens.
The combination of scientific and applied information in Biology, Detection, and Management of Plant Pathogens in Irrigation Water makes it ideal for both scientists and practitioners.
When applied, the information in this book can have a direct and positive impact on some of the biggest challenges facing global agriculture in the 21st century, such as water use efficiency, reduction of our environmental footprint, climate change, and food security through the optimal management of pathogens and water resources in irrigation systems.
The contributing authors of this book are world authorities on plant pathogens in irrigation water. They provide insights on gaps in our current understanding of the aquatic biology of plant pathogens, their detection, and their management.
The content of Biology, Detection, and Management of Plant Pathogens is well developed and organized. And each chapter ends with a concluding remarks section highlighting the trajectory of future research. Sections include:
- Part I addresses the links between crop diseases and irrigation water. It describes water sources, recycling, and distribution systems and assesses their risk in exposing crops to waterborne plant pathogens. It also discusses specific plant pathogens found in these systems.
- Part II examines the diversity and biology of plant pathogens in water.
- Part III covers the latest technologies and methods for detecting and quantifying plant pathogens in irrigation water.
- Parts IV and V present an array of strategies and tactics for risk-avoidance and mitigation. These can be implemented at any point in business development, from land purchase to production system design and in-season management—and at different points in the system, from runoff containment basins to pump houses and production beds.
- Part V addresses pathogen management through good system design and the application of best practices.
Nearly 130 images help users understand diverse irrigation systems, associated pathogens and their detection, and crop health risk mitigation strategies and technologies. A comprehensive table in the appendix gives users rapid access to information on specific plant pathogens that have been found in water, the crops at risk, and specific citations for those records.
Practitioners working with crop production systems will find this title useful, as will scientists and students in the disciplines of plant pathology, agronomy, horticulture, mycology, bacteriology, virology, and nematology. Groups who should have this reference include:
- Greenhouse, nursery, and field growers
- University and industry researchers
- Professors and educators
- State and county extension agents
- Independent crop consultants
- Agricultural science librarians
- Undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs
- Staff and field representatives at irrigation companies
- Conservation biologists
- Policymakers
"This book is well laid out and attractive with colorful titles and pictures. It will help the users understand both the theory and methods. It should be available in research laboratories and university libraries, interested in Plant Pathogens in Irrigation Water."
—Fungal Diversity
"... is an ideal textbook and highly recommended for Agricultural Department curriculums and Academic Library reference collections. The impressive roster of contributors cover the links between crop diseases and irrigation water; the diversity and biology of plant pathogens in water; strategies and tactics for risk-avoidance and mitigation, system design, 'best practices', and more."
—The Midwest Book Review
"... written with a clarity which makes it suitable for a wider audience, including growers and those planning and building nurseries." "...this accessible, well illustrated book will be of use to anyone with more than a passing interest in applying water to healthy crops."
—Planteria