Diseases of Fruits and Vegetables: Diagnosis and Management

Among horticultural crops, fruits and vegetables are of primary importance for an adequate and balanced human diet. In certain parts of the world, fruits and vegetables are the major dietary staple. Apart from being a rich source of vitamins and minerals, the production of fruits and vegetables also contributes significantly to regional and national economies through national and international trade. However, the cultivation of these crops for optimum yield and quality is highly technical and needs improved technological support. Management of perennial fruit crops requires further close monitoring especially for the management of diseases which affect production and subsequent post-harvest losses significantly. During the twentieth century, plant pathology has witnessed a dramatic advance in management of fruit and vegetable diseases through in-depth investigations of host-pathogen interactions, development of molecular diagnostic tools, integration of new concepts, principles and approaches. The new millennium promises excitement and hope for the future by new advances in eco-friendly technologies in integrated disease management of fruits and vegetables. This book contains a comprehensive overview of current practice in diagnosis and management of diseases of fruits and vegetables. It includes the latest diagnostic tools and management strategies of almost all the important temperate, tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables. For each individual crop various aspects of diseases such as the diagnosis, forecast, elimination of diseases and integrated management at nursery, orchard and post-harvest stage are discussed by leading plant pathologists. The diseases of economic importance caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses and virus-like organisms and nematodes of each crop are covered, describing their history, distribution, losses incurred, symptoms, diagnostic tools, epidemiology and integrated applied management approaches including cultural, chemical, genetic resources and the use of bio-control agents. Each chapter is vividly illustrated with photographs of typical symptoms, graphs, tables and line drawings to make the subject more interesting and easy to understand for students, scientists, planners, administrators, growers and other end users. Volume I covers diseases of fruits including apple, citrus, grapes, mango and pineapple and of vegetables such as carrot, celery and cucurbits, with special reference to integrated disease management practices. Volume II covers diseases of fruits including avocado, banana, grapes, guava, papaya, passion fruit, strawberry, stone fruits and minor tropical and subtropical fruits. Vegetables such as lettuce, pea, pepper, potato, onion and garlic have been included in this volume besides the role of mycorrhiza and biocontrol agents in disease management.