The Wheat Rusts: Breeding for Resistance

The idea for this book was conceived by the late Dr. Irvine A. Watson of the University of Sydney, and he developed the first outline. I was then invited by Dr. Watson to share in its writing. Unfortunately, shortly there­ after, recurring heart problems forced him to curtail his activities and with­ draw from the project. He died before the book could be completed. Dr. Watson's intention was to produce a very practical book that would provide wheat breeders with all of the information necessary to breed success­ fully for resistance to the three wheat leaf rust, stem rust, and yellow rust. It was intended to be very specific in describing procedures to be used and at the same time provide all of the necessary theoretical background. I hope that I have been successful in meeting these objectives. The book assumes that the reader has some knowledge of plant pathology, genetics, and plant breeding. Extensive use has been made of the literature, but it was not possible to cite all of the papers on a given topic. In making a choice, an attempt was made to choose key papers or more recent papers that provided references to the earlier literature. Acknowledgements This book was written partly at the University of Saskatchewan and partly at the University of California, Davis, while I was on a sabbatical leave.