February 2023 MBR The Agriculture Shelf

The Agriculture Shelf

Postharvest Pathology of Fruit and Nut Crops
James E. Adaskaaveg, editor
Helga Forster, editor
Dov B. Prusky, editor
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apspress/Pages/default.aspx
9780890546673, $195.00 (APS Members, $175.00), HC, 606pp

https://my.apsnet.org/APSStore/Product-Detail.aspx?WebsiteKey=2661527A-8D44-496C-A730-8CFEB6239BE7&iProduc tCode=46673

Synopsis: Postharvest pathology is one of the most essential considerations in producing an agricultural commodity and is critical in minimizing not only crop losses but also the entire economic investment related to growing, harvesting, packing, transporting, and marketing a commodity. Understanding postharvest pathology is crucial for providing fresh, unspoiled produce to consumers.

"Postharvest Pathology of Fruit and Nut Crops: Principles, Concepts, and Management Practices" from APS is the most complete guide to postharvest diseases ever published. This new and comprehensive volume provides current reports of postharvest diseases of fruit and nut crops around the world.

Part I offers an overview of postharvest pathology principles, concepts, and management strategies, including alternative approaches that have emerged in response to the increasing number of fungicide-resistant fungal strains and growing concerns about the effects of fungicides on human health and the environment. Part II discusses postharvest diseases of fruit and nut crops of temperate zones, and Part III focuses on fruit crops of semi-arid, subtropical, and tropical zones.

The 20 crop-specific chapters in Parts II and III are organized similarly and provide descriptions of the importance and cultivation of the crop and reviews of related major and minor postharvest diseases, covering the etiology of the causal agent, disease symptoms, disease cycles, and epidemiology. Each chapter concludes with the latest integrated management practices, including biological, chemical, and cultural treatments. Two appendixes catalog fungal pathogens that cause diseases of selected fruit and nut crops and bacterial pathogens that cause diseases of selected fruit crops.

Collaborative editors James E. Adaskaveg, Helga Forster, and Dov B. Prusky have compiled information drawn from 36 researchers with a wide knowledge of specific crops to complete this study, which serves as a single and singular resource for researchers, growers, and students looking for the most up-to-date knowledge about postharvest diseases.

Critique: Informatively illustrated in full color with respect to 270 illustrations of plant disease symptoms and disease cycles, "Postharvest Pathology of Fruit and Nut Crops: Principles, Concepts, and Management Practices" is a fundamental and unreservedly recommended addition to professional and academic library "Agricultural Studies" instructional reference collections and essential for readers with an interest in the occurrence, spread, and management of postharvest diseases, the latest nomenclatural information of fungal and bacterial pathogens.

Editorial Note #1: James E. Adaskaveg received his B.S. degree in agronomy in 1982 at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology in 1984 and 1986, respectively, at the University of Arizona, Tucson. He was post-doctoral researcher and subsequently research plant pathologist/lecturer in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis, from 1986 to 1990 and 1990 to 1995, respectively. In 1995, Adaskaveg joined the faculty of the Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, where he is currently professor of plant pathology with statewide responsibilities in tree fruit and nut pathology. He received the Almond Research Appreciation Award in 1997 for his investigation of almond anthracnose, the Cherry Man of the Year Award in 2003 for his pre- and postharvest research on brown rot of sweet cherry, and the Albert G. Salter Memorial Award in 2006 for his research on Septoria spot and postharvest decays of citrus. For the last 3 years, he has been the scientific advisor for USDA-APHIS in negotiations with the Korean government on the exportation of California oranges to Korea.

Editorial Note #2: Helga Forster (https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Helga-Forster/1242453098) Helga Forster is a Department of Plant Pathology at UC Riverside based in Riverside, California.

Editorial Note #3: Dov B. Prusky (https://www.agri.gov.il/en/people/744.aspx) is with the Agricultural Research Organization (the Volcani Center) and the author of numerous science papers on the etiology and control of postharvest losses in deciduous and subtropical fruits by integration of pre-and postharvest treatments.

A Farmer's Guide to Wheat Diseases
Damon Smith, et al.
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apspress/Pages/default.aspx
9780890546512, $35.95, PB, 168pp

https://my.apsnet.org/APSStore/Product-Detail.aspx?WebsiteKey=2661527A-8D44-496C-A730-8CFEB6239BE7&iProduc tCode=46512KIT

https://www.amazon.com/Farmers-Guide-Wheat-Diseases/dp/0890546517

Synopsis: With easy-to-use keys and cross-referencing tools that enhance efficient diagnosis, "A Farmer's Guide to Wheat Diseases" helps wheat growers to pinpoint diseases and disorders in the field. The management recommendations offered are intentionally general and meant to give wheat growers and consulting wheat crop specialists a starting place to discuss more localized treatment recommendations with Extension or crop specialists in their region.

Critique: Comprehensive, informatively illustrated in full color throughout, "A Farmer's Guide to Wheat Diseases" is expertly compiled by Damon Smith and features expert commentaries by nine contributors. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "A Farmer's Guide to Wheat Diseases" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' and recommended addition to personal, professional, college, and university library Agriculture/Horticultural collections -- and a 'must' for anyone involved with the raising of wheat fields.

Editorial Note: Damon Smith (https://plantpath.wisc.edu/faculty/damon-smith-2) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases, fourth edition
Lane P. Tredway, et al.
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apspress/Pages/default.aspx
9780890546871, $79.00, PB, 188pp

https://my.apsnet.org/APSStore/Product-Detail.aspx?WebsiteKey=2661527A-8D44-496C-A730-8CFEB6239BE7&iProduc tCode=46871

Synopsis: Many advances in turfgrass pathology have occurred since publication of the third edition in 2005, calling for a revised edition. Approximately half of the fourth edition text is new or revised, with more than 200 new, high-quality figures have been added -- including disease symptom images, photomicrographs, pathogen drawings, and disease cycle diagrams.

The new edition of "Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases" is a thorough resource on turfgrass diseases, their pathogenic causes, and their effective management. The editors' combined experience, which exceeds 100 years, paired with contributions from 23 U.S. scientists and specialists ensures the utmost accuracy.

While previous editions focused on diseases of cool-season grasses grown in northern, temperate climates, this newly published fourth edition also emphasizes warm-season turfgrass diseases, which will benefit scientists and practitioners in all climates. This new edition also covers approximately 75 diseases and abiotic disorders, with detailed descriptions of characteristic symptoms and causal agents. The cycle and the epidemiology of each disease are described, with emphasis on the conditions that stimulate disease development -- helping to prevent disease altogether.

The compendium is organized into four parts: infectious diseases, noninfectious agents, disease management, and disease diagnosis. Topics include turfgrass characteristics, the damage caused by noninfectious agents in the turfgrass ecosystem, the ecology and taxonomy of fungi pathogenic to turfgrasses, research-based integrated management approaches (emphasizing the use of resistant cultivars or species, cultural management practices, and proper timing of fungicide application when necessary), and basic diagnostic procedures.

This extended study also includes an introduction, appendix, glossary, and index. Plus, references sections throughout the book include key sources for further reading on each topic, providing a gateway to the primary literature on turfgrass diseases.

"Compendium of Turfgrasses" is a practical and technical reference, blending descriptive terminology with the technical language of plant pathology to accommodate all knowledge levels within the diverse audience of practitioners, academics, and industry workers involved in fine turf.

Critique: The collaborative work of Lane P. Tredway, Maria Tomaso-Peterson, James P. Kerns, and Bruce B. Clarke, "Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases" is now available in a fully updated and expanded fourth addition, making it a must-have reference for golf course superintendents, lawn care professionals, grounds managers, sports field managers, sod growers, agronomists, turfgrass consultants, educators, turfgrass scientists, plant pathologists, Extension professionals, plant disease diagnosticians, undergraduate/graduate students, postdoctoral research associates, R&D scientist sales representatives, technical representatives, technical managers, brand managers, and turf fertilizer and turf products marketing managers.

Editorial Note: For more than a century, members of APS have been making and sharing significant breakthroughs, both for science and society. APS is driven by a distinctive community of scientists, whose energy and commitment ensure the global advancement of agricultural science. APS members represent a broad range of specialties, from pushing frontiers in the accuracy and speed of field diagnosis, to increasing our understanding of plant pathology through laboratory research. Members come from academia, government, industry, and private practice. The diversity of the members and science makes the society pertinent to a multitude of research areas, while the international involvement ensures that the latest innovations from around the world are available to all.

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