Breeding Plants for Disease Resistance

In this century, the use of resistant varieties has become the single most important means for controlling diseases of cultivated crops. This two-part book is the first authoritative volume to combine both the conceptual and the applied aspects of disease resistance into an integrated unit.

Part I investigates and interprets the terminology, concepts, and principles that are germane to disease resistance. Epidemiology and disease resistance are explored and illustrated with basic patterns of disease increase. The limits of disease resistance as an effective control measure are acknowledged, the various uses of resistance genes to curb population shifts in plant pathogen are probed, and certain controversial concepts are challenged. A separate chapter presents the plant breeder's views on resistance.

Part II compiles the latest information on sources and inheritance of resistance, inoculation and selection techniques, and current applications of disease resistance for many of the most important diseases of many major, international crops. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific crop and was prepared by one of the foremost experts in the field. Although each presentation is consistent in format, authors covering particular crops express valuable, personal insights that reflect the problems unique to each plant.