Innovative Biotic Stress Management Strategies in Crops

Crops suffer from biotic and abiotic stress during their growing period. The biotic stress in crops is caused by living organisms, specifically viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, insects, arachnids, phanerogamic plant and weeds. They directly deprive their host of its nutrients leading to reduce plant vigour and, in extreme cases, death of the host plant and cause about up to 40% yield losses and significantly reduce the quality of the produce annually. This has led to increased concern over food safety and nutritional security in India as well as abroad. Climate change and human interventions have altered ecosystems, reducing biodiversity, and creating new niches where pests and pathogens can thrive and emerging new pest and diseases of crops. The integrative strategies for management of biotic stresses of crops include managing pests through enhancing resistance of host plants, biological, cultural, physical, and chemical methods are needed. In this book, 29 chapters are included covering general topic and specific crop - based strategies to management the stresses caused by insect pest and diseases of the different crops such as cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, cash crop, medicinal and aromatic plants, spices, and plantation crops by using different approaches with latest information. At the end of each chapter references are cited which may facilitate the reader for getting more authentic detail information. The book also focuses more on diagnosis of biotic stresses and management by adding recent information, which has practical utility. The purpose of this book is to provide recent information in the field of biotic stress management in crops to students, researchers, teachers, extension workers and farmers and those who deal with the crops that are vulnerable to biotic stress.