Few individuals can be unmoved by the impact of molecular biology. Advances in the discipline over four decades have progressed at a rate unrivalled in other scientific areas. In its formative years, molecular biology examined the chemical and physical structures of biological molecules, subsequently elucidated the nature and function of DNA and evolved into molecular genetics. From this exponential growth of scientific knowledge, tremendous opportunities were created for the application of molecular approaches to solve problems in applied biology. This book describes the new productive...

Plant diseases worldwide are responsible for billions of dollars worth of crop losses every year. With less agrochemicals being used and less new fungicides coming on the market due to environmental concerns, more effort is now being put into the use of genetic potential of plants for pathogen resistance and the development of induced or acquired resistance as an environmentally safe means of disease control.

This comprehensive book examines in depth the development and exploitation of induced resistance. Chapters review current knowledge of the agents that can elicit induced...

The control of diseases in crops is still largely dominated by the use of fungicides, but with the increasing incidence of fungicide resistance, plus mounting concern for the environment resulting from excessive agrochemical use, the search for alternative, reliable methods of disease control is gaining momentum.

The purpose of this important book is to examine the development and exploitation (or potential for exploitation) of a range of non-chemical approaches to disease control, with a focus on the need for a greater understanding of crop ecology as the basis for effective disease...

The survival of plants on our planet is nothing short of miraculous. They are virtually stationary packages of food, providing sustenance for a vast array of organisms, ranging from bacteria and fungi, through to insects, and even other plants.
But plants are master survivors, having coped with changing environments and evolving predators over much of the history of life on earth. They have surveillance systems and defences that would put most modern armies to shame. They need to have a formidable armoury, because their enemies have sophisticated weaponry of their own. In this often...