Knowledge of downy mildew pathogens and diseases has increased significantly in taxonomy, phylogeny, genetics, molecular biology, host-parasite interactions, ecology, epidemiology and control. The opportunity to update comprehensively the major advances in these areas was created by the 2nd International Symposium on Downy Mildews held in July 2007 at Olomouc (Czech Republic). Keynote contributions from this meeting are published here in 14 chapters that provide the most authoritative and recent analysis of these biotrophic plant pathogens and their interactions with plants. It will be an invaluable resource to students and researchers in plant pathology, mycology, taxonomy, plant biology and crop protection.
Aleš Lebeda – Professor of plant pathology, mycology and agricultural botany. Head of the Department of Botany, Palacký University in Olomouc (Czech Republic). Altogether he has published nearly 800 various scientific and professional papers. He has published more than 200 research papers in more than 50 international journals as well as several book chapters. He edited 15 books and proceedings. Recently he has been elected President of the Czech Society for Plant Pathology and Editor-in-Chief of Plant Protection Science. He has served as a visiting scientist and lecturer in many countries (e.g. The Netherlans, Germany, UK, USA etc.). He has given over 110 lectures in 24 countries. He is a member of several international scientific societies.
Peter T.N. Spencer-Phillips - plant pathologist and mycologist, and Head of the School of Biosciences at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. He is Vice-President of the British Mycological Society (2007-2009) and Co-ordinator of the Downy Mildew Working Group of the International Society for Plant Pathology (1998-2008). He organised the Downy Mildews sessions at the last three International Congresses of Plant Pathology (1998, 2003, 2008), and he initiated the Advances in Downy Mildew Research series of books (published in 2002, 2004 & 2007). He has published in journals, books and proceedings, and is a member of the editorial board of three international journals.
B. M. Cooke – is a professor of plant pathology in the School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Ireland, and the Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Plant Pathology.
