Physiological Responses of Plants to Attack


Book Description

Despite the research effort put into controlling pathogens, pests and parasitic plants, crop losses are still a regular feature of agriculture worldwide. This makes it important to manage the crop appropriately in order to maximise yield. Understanding the relationship between the occurrence and severity of attack, and the resulting yield loss, is an important step towards improved crop protection. Linked to this, is the need to better understand the mechanisms responsible for reductions in growth and yield in affected crops. Physiological Responses of Plants to Attack is unique because it deals with the effects of different attackers – pathogens, herbivores, and parasitic plants, on host processes involved in growth, reproduction, and yield. Coverage includes effects on photosynthesis, partitioning of carbohydrates, water and nutrient relations, and changes in plant growth hormones. Far from being simply a consequence of attack, the alterations in primary metabolism reflect a more dynamic and complex interaction between plant and attacker, sometimes involving re-programming of plant metabolism by the attacker. Physiological Responses of Plants to Attack is written and designed for use by senior undergraduates and postgraduates studying agricultural sciences, applied entomology, crop protection, plant pathology and plant sciences. Biological and agricultural research scientists in the agrochemical and crop protection industries, and in academia, will find much of use in this book. All libraries in universities and research establishments where biological and agricultural sciences are studied and taught should have copies of this exciting book on their shelves




Physiological Plant Pathology


Book Description

Plant pathology embraces all aspects of biological and scientific activity which are concerned with understanding the complex phenomena of diseases in plants. Physiological plant pathology represents those specialities within plant pathology which focus on the physiological and biochemical activities of pathogens and on the response of host plant tissues. Today there is an increasing recognition on the part of the scientific agri cultural community that only through a deeper and more fundamental under standing of all the interacting components of the agricultural biota can we expect to improve our capabilities of feeding an expanding world population. It is in this context that physiological plant pathology has assumed new significance within the broader field of plant pathology. No longer are studies on the biochemistry and physiology of pathogens and pathogenesis merely isolated academic exercises; rather, a substantial coherent body of knowledge is accumulating upon which our understanding of the process of disease developmen t and host resistance is being founded. It is from these foundations of knowledge that ultimately new insights into the control of plant diseases may be expected to grow. It seems appropriate, therefore, that at regular intervals those involved in the various subspecialities encompassing the broadest aspects of physiological plant pathology reassess the contributions within the particular specialities in the light of new knowledge and technologies for the purpose of articulating new and productive directions for the future.




Physiology and Biochemistry of Plant-Pathogen Interactions


Book Description

There has been a significant surge of interest in the study of the physiology and biochemistry of plant host-parasite interactions in recent years, as evidenced by the number of research papers currently being published on the subject. The in creased interest is probably based on the evidence that effective management of many plant diseases is, for the most part, contingent upon a clear understanding of the nature of host-parasite interactions. This intensified research effort calls for a greater number of books, such as this one, designed to compile, synthesize, and evaluate widely scattered pieces of information on this subject. The study of host-parasite interactions concerns the struggle between plants and pathogens, which has been incessant throughout their coevolution. Such in teractions are often highly complex. Pathogens have developed sophisticated of fensive systems to parasitize plants, while plants have evolved diversified defen sive strategies to ward off potential pathogens. In certain cases, the outcome of a specific host-parasite interaction seems to depend upon the presence or efficacy of the plant's defense system. A plant may become diseased when a parasite manages to invade it, unhindered by preexisting defense systems and/or without eliciting the plant's induced resistance response(s). Absence of disease may re flect the inability of the invading pathogen to overcome the plant's defense sys tem(s).




Plant-pathogen Interactions


Book Description

Plant diseases are destructive and threaten virtually any crop grown on a commercial scale. They are kept in check by plant breeding strategies that have introgressed disease resistance genes into many important crops, and by the deployment of costly control measures, such as antibiotics and fungicides. However, the capacity for the agents of plant disease - viruses, bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes - to adapt to new conditions, overcoming disease resistance and becoming resistant to pesticides, is very great. For these reasons, understanding the biology of plant diseases is essential for the development of durable control strategies. Plant-Pathogen Interactions provides and overview of our current knowledge of plant-pathogen interactions and the establishment of plant disease, drawing together fundamental new information on plant infection mechanisms and host responses. The role of molecular signals, gene regulation, and the physiology of pathogenic organisms are emphasized, but the role of the prevailing environment in the conditioning of disease is also discussed. Emphasizing the broader understanding that has emerged from the use of molecular genetics and genomics, Plant-Pathogen Interactions highlights those interactions that have been most widely studied and those in which genome information has provided a new level of understanding.




Induced Resistance for Plant Defense


Book Description

Induced resistance offers the prospect of broad spectrum, long-lasting and potentially environmentally-benign disease and pest control in plants. Induced Resistance for Plant Defense 2e provides a comprehensive account of the subject, encompassing the underlying science and methodology, as well as research on application of the phenomenon in practice. The second edition of this important book includes updated coverage of cellular aspects of induced resistance, including signalling and defenses, costs and trade-offs associated with the expression of induced resistance, research aimed at integrating induced resistance into crop protection practice, and induced resistance from a commercial perspective. Current thinking on how beneficial microbes induce resistance in plants has been included in the second edition. The 14 chapters in this book have been written by internationally-respected researchers and edited by three editors with considerable experience of working on induced resistance. Like its predecessor, the second edition of Induced Resistance for Plant Defense will be of great interest to plant pathologists, plant cell and molecular biologists, agricultural scientists, crop protection specialists, and personnel in the agrochemical industry. All libraries in universities and research establishments where biological, agricultural, horticultural and forest sciences are studied and taught should have copies of this book on their shelves.




Root Physiology: from Gene to Function


Book Description

"Reprinted from Plant and soil, volume 274 (2005)."




The Hypersensitive Reaction in Plants to Pathogens


Book Description

Nikolai Gogol’s short story is a sublime work of tragi-comedy. In it, he brilliantly ridicules the Ukrainian passion for litigation and reveals life as something really rather absurd. Ivan Ivanovich and Ivan Nikiforovich are the greatest of friends—until the day they begin a foolish quarrel that culminates in that very worst of insults: “And you, Ivan Ivanovich, are a goose.” From that moment on, not another word is spoken between them as they choose instead to fight out their differences in the courts. But it seems theirs is a lawsuit that is set to run for years and years.







Induced Resistance to Disease in Plants


Book Description

Induced or acquired resistance to disease in plants has been known for many years, but the phenomenon was studied in only a few laboratories until about a decade ago. Since then, there has been an increasing interest in induced resistance as a new, environmentally safe means of disease control, as well as a model for the study of the genes involved in host defence and the signals that control them. This increased interest led the editors of Induced Resistance to Disease in Plants to collect and summarise much of the current and older literature on the topic in a single volume. Each chapter covers its topic as comprehensively as possible, thus serving as a solid introduction to the literature, as well as expressing its writer's own views on the state of research in the area and giving an indication of where future research may lead. Induced Resistance to Disease in Plants addresses the biology of induced resistance in legumes, solanaceae, cucurbits and monocots, since these are the families that have received the most attention, followed by a discussion of the molecular basis of induced resistance, its genetic and evolutionary significance, and practical applications in disease control. The book will provide a background for those commencing work in the area, as well as a source of information for established workers who wish to learn about other areas of induced resistance.




Priming-Mediated Stress and Cross-Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants


Book Description

Priming-Mediated Stress and Cross-Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants provides the latest, in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with the development of stress and cross-stress tolerance in plants. Plants growing under field conditions are constantly exposed, either sequentially or simultaneously, to many abiotic or biotic stress factors. As a result, many plants have developed unique strategies to respond to ever-changing environmental conditions, enabling them to monitor their surroundings and adjust their metabolic systems to maintain homeostasis. Recently, priming mediated stress and cross-stress tolerance (i.e., greater tolerance to a second, stronger stress after exposure to a different, milder primary stress) have attracted considerable interest within the scientific community as potential means of stress management and for producing stress-resistant crops to aid global food security. Priming-Mediated Stress and Cross-Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants comprehensively reviews the physiological, biochemical, and molecular basis of cross-tolerance phenomena, allowing researchers to develop strategies to enhance crop productivity under stressful conditions and to utilize natural resources more efficiently. The book is a valuable asset for plant and agricultural scientists in corporate or government environments, as well as educators and advanced students looking to promote future research into plant stress tolerance. - Provides comprehensive information for developing multiple stress-tolerant crop varieties - Includes in-depth physiological, biochemical, and molecular information associated with cross-tolerance - Includes contribution from world-leading cross-tolerance research group - Presents color images and diagrams for effective communication of key concepts