Diseases of Field and Horticultural Crops Their Management

Gain key insights into crop disease control with expert guidance on pathogen identification, epidemiology, and integrated management strategies. Organized into field and horticultural sections covering cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, and spices, this book offers practical measures to safeguard yield and sustainability. The book is a comprehensive resource that provides in-depth insights into the identification, epidemiology, and control of major diseases affecting agricultural and horticultural crops. Designed for students, extension professionals, researchers, and farmers, this book serves as a practical guide to protect crops from pathogen-induced losses and ensure sustainable agricultural productivity. The book is systematically divided into two main sections: field crops and horticultural crops. In the field crops section, it covers a wide range of cereals (rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, bajra, finger millet), pulses (gram, pea, black gram, green gram), oilseeds (mustard, groundnut, soybean, sunflower), and cash crops like sugarcane and cotton. For each crop, the book presents common diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes, along with integrated disease management (IDM) strategies. The horticultural section offers detailed accounts of fruit crops (citrus, banana, mango, papaya, apple, pomegranate, grapes, etc.), plantation crops (tea, coffee, coconut), and vegetables (potato, tomato, brinjal, chilli, cucurbits, cruciferous vegetables, bhendi). It also includes spices and ornamental plants like turmeric, coriander, marigold, and rose. The text provides clear explanations of disease symptoms, pathogen biology, disease cycles, and practical control measures including cultural practices, resistant varieties, chemical and biological control. Richly illustrated and aligned with current agricultural practices, this book is a vital tool for crop health management in diverse agro-climatic zones of India and beyond.