Food and agriculture is an important component in the development and survival of civilizations. Around half of the world’s population and their economies are influenced by agricultural farm production. Plant diseases take as much as a 30 percent toll of the crop harvest if not managed properly and efficiently. Bacterial diseases of crop plants are important in plant disease scenarios worldwide and are observed on all kinds of cultivated and commercial value plants including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, cash crops, plantation crops, spices, ornamentals and flowering plant, forage crop, forest trees, and lawn grasses.
Bacterial diseases are widespread and are difficult to identify and to control. Few pesticides are available for use in control, and many plant pathologists are not well trained in the management of bacterial diseases. Bacterial Diseases of Crop Plants offers concise information on bacterial diseases of crops, proving a valuable asset to students, scientists in industry and academia, farmers, extension workers, and those who deal with crops that are vulnerable to bacterial diseases.
The book contains 13 chapters featuring bacterial diseases of individual crops and is illustrated with full color photographs throughout providing amazing characterization of the diseases. It also includes information on bacterial diseases that appear on different crops across the continents, thereby making the content of interest to plant pathologists around the world. Bacterial diseases are of great economic concern, and their importance in overall losses caused by various other pathogens, such as fungi and viruses, is often undermined in developing countries.
Prof. Suresh Borkar, is University Head in the Department of Plant Pathology and Agricultural Microbiology since 2005. Graduated from Dr. Punjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola in 1977, he obtained his M. Sc. and Ph. D. from IARI, New Delhi in 1979 and 1983 respectively. He did his post-doctorate from INRA, Angers, France in 1984 and D. Sc from international University, Washington in 1999. He is a fellow of Indian Phytopathological Society and Eurasian Academy of environmental Sciences.
After returning from France, he joined his first appointment of Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology at Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi VishwaVidyalaya, Jabalpur (M. P.) and served the university from January 1985 to December 1989. He was selected as Associate Professor of Plant Pathology at Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri and joined the position in December, 1989. He was selected as Professor of Plant Pathology in 1994 by Maharashtra Council of Agriculture Education and Research for Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri and joined the position in May 1994. He has also served as Dean, Post Graduate Institute of Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri during 2012-2013.
Prof. Suresh Borkar has published move than 75 research papers in around 25 National and 7 foreign journals. He has guided around 25 students for their M. Sc and Ph. D degree research. Most of his students are serving as ICAR scientist and in Agricultural universities. He has received 13 Awards from scientific societies and social organizations within the country and Abroad. He has developed four wheat varieties, six patents, several technologies and recommendations and new strains of beneficial microbes and published three books. He has chaired several sessions in ICAR workshops and National seminars. He has visited several universities abroad in France, Greece, U. K. and Nepal. He is on the selection committee of different Agricultural Universities in the country. He is a well known teacher and scientist at National and International level.
Yumlembam Rupert Anand has completed his M.Sc. from Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Maharashtra (India) in 2011 and Ph.D. from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), Mohanpur, West Bengal (India) in 2015; in the field of Plant Pathology and extensively worked in the field of Plant Bacteriology for these degrees. He has published three research article in National journals and a book chapter. His are of interest is on Plant Bacteriology identification of new antibacterial molecules of plant origins. He has filed one patent on the new bactericidal molecule 4-(4- chlorophenyl) pyridine. He has participated actively in seminars, conferences and symposiums held by professional societies.
