The Nature and Practice of Biological Control of Plant Pathogens

The Nature and Practice of Biological Control of Plant Pathogens

Examines the broad subject of biological control of plant pathogens in a unified framework of concepts and principles. Among the principal themes is the fact that slight changes in an environmental factor often produce striking effects in plant-microbe interactions.

Contents

Why Biological Control? Biological Control Answers Many Agricultural Problems; Increasing Crop Production Within Existing Resources; Avoiding Development of Pathogen Resistance to Chemicals; Adopting Practices Compatible with Sustainable Agriculture; Biological Balance; Effects of Agriculture on Biological Balance; Historical Constraints on the Use of Biological Control with Antagonists; The Potential of Gene Manipulation; Developmental History of Biological Control of Plant Pathogens; Introduced Antagonists; Resident Antagonists; Mycoparasites; Suppressive Soils; Some Landmark Events of the Past Fifty Years; Conferences and Symposia on Biological Control; Components of Biological Control; Definition of Biological Control; The Pathogen as a Component of Biological Control; Antagonists as Components of Biological Control; The Host Plant as a Component of Biological Control; Role of the Abiotic Environment in Biological Control; Biological Control Related to Other Controls; Approaches to Biological Control; Biological Control of Inoculum; Biological Destruction of Dormant Propagules; Prevention of Inoculum Formation; Displacement of the Pathogen in Crop Residue; Manipulation of Factors Inherent in the Pathogen; Biological Protection Against Infection; Protection of Plant Material; Protection of Roots with Biological Seed Treatments; Biological Protection of Foliage and Flowers; Inoculation of Pruning Wounds with Antagonists; Cross Protection and Induced Resistance; Virus Control by Cross Protection; Control of Fungus Pathogens by Cross Protection; Use of Multilines and Variety Mixtures; Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi; The Pathogen in Biological Control; Food and Energy Management by Parasites During Parasitism; Preventing Accumulation of Excess Nutrients; Polluting the Infection Site or Lesion; Modifying the Physical Environment of the Host; Converting Food into New Propagules; Micovirus Infections and Hypovirulence; Hypovirulence in Endothia parasitica and its Role in Biocontrol; Pathological Effects of Hypovirulence in Rhizoctonia solani; Hypovirulence in Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici; Maintenance and Defense in the Absence of a Suscept--The Bear Market After a Bull Market; Diversification as a Method of Resource Management; Saprophytic Survival; Survival as Dormant Propagules in Soil; Initiation and Maintenance of Growth in Response to a Suscept--The Beginning of a Bull Market After a Bear Market; Inoculation; Pathogen Response to the Host; Water Requirements of Pathogens; The Host and Biological Control; Plant Water Potentials; Plant Water Potentials for Pathogen Growth and for Biological Control with Antagonists; Influence of Plant Water Potentials on Resistance of Plants to Pathogens; Plant Temperature; Leaf Temperatures for Growth of Pathogens and for Biological Control by Antagonists; Influence of Plant Temperature on Resistance of Plants to Pathogens; Predisposition by Chilling Injury and Freezing; Oxygen in Plants and in the Root Zone; Mineral Nutrition and Ionic Balance; Nutritional Environment and Antagonistic Interactions Among Microorganisms on Plant Surfaces; Root Exudation, Dynamics of Root Growth, and Colonization of the Rhizophere and Rhizoplane; Exudation and Leaching from Aerial Parts; Colonization of Aerial Parts by Microorganisms; Debris as a Source of Nutrients on Aerial Parts of Plants; Protection of Leaves and Flowers by the Phylloplane Microbiota; Compartmentalization and Biological Control of Decay in Trees; The Active Role of the Host in Biological Control; Cell - Cell Communication Between Plants and Microorganisms; Cell Membrane Integrity as a Factor in Success of the Host-Pathogen Interaction; Host Defense by Physical or Chemical Containment of the Pathogen ; Cross Protection and Induced Resistance; Direct Antagonism of the Pathogen by a Nonpathogen; Induced Resistance; Enhanced Host-Plant Resistance with Mycorrhizae; The Soil Ecosystem and Biological Control; Soil Water and Aeration as Factors in Biological Control; Some Basic Concepts; Water Potential Requirements for Growth, and the Relative Competitive Advantage of Microorganisms in Soil; Soil Water Content and Diffusion of Solutes; Water-Filled Pores and the Motility of Soil Microorganisms; Soil Aeration and Biological Control; The Microbial Biomass of Soil; Amounts and Methods of Measurement; Influence of Heat Treatments and Fumigation; Soil Fungistasis; Crop Residue Decomposition in Relation to Biological Control; Pathogen-Suppressive Soils; General and Specific Suppression; Soils Suppressive to Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici; Fusarium-Suppressive Soils; Phytophthora-Suppressive Soils; Pythium-Suppressive Soils; Biological Control of Rhizoctonia solani in Suppressive Soil; Introduction of Antagonists for Biological Control; Antagonists as Soil Treatments; Introduction of Hyperparasites; Introduction of Saprophytes for Colonization of Treated Soil; Antagonists Applied with the Planting Material; Biological Seed Treatments; Inoculation of Cuttings and Transplants; Postplanting Treatment with Antagonists; Postharvest Biological Control; Antagonistae Vitae; Agricultural Practices and Biological Control; Cropping System; Preplant Soil Treatments; Tillage; Organic Amendments; Flooding; Solar Heating of Soil; Fertilization and Adjustment of Soil pH; Methods and Date of Planting; Irrigation Practices; Modification of the Environment to Favor Antagonists; Alleviation of Predisposing Plant Water Stress; Selection of the Best Combination of Practices; Perspectives; Detection of Effective Antagonists; Unexploited Opportunities for Biological Control; Unusual Approaches to the Discovery of Biological Control; Biological Control in Less Developed Countries, and Some Lessons for the Agriculture of More Developed Countries; A Partner at the Feast; Expectations for Biological Control; Literature Cited; Index