Phytoplasmas: Plant Pathogenic Bacteria - I

Dr Govind Pratap Rao is working as a Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology) at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He did his M.Sc (Botany)  and Ph.D. in Plant Virology from Gorakhpur University. He did Post Doc at University of Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA with Prof R.E. Ford on Characterization of Sugarcane mosaic and maize dwarf mosaic viruses in 1994.  Dr Rao has 30 years of research experience on plant pathology especially on plant virology and phytoplasmas. He did significant contributions in characterization of viruses infecting cucurbits, sugarcane, maize and sorghum. He has published over 130 research publications and authored and edited nearly 17 books to his credit.  He has also guided 3 MSc and 12 PhD students on different aspects of plant pathology. He has been worked in different capacities as Scientific Officer, Sr Scientific Officer (Pl Pathology), Head , Div Plant Pathology  and Officer-in-Charge at Research Stations of UPCouncil of Sugarcane Research centres at Seorahi, Gorakhpur and Shahjahanpur from 1987 to 2010. He has been awarded several prestigious awards to his credit. The most important ones are : National Biotechnology Associateship Award (1991-1992), DBT, Govt. of India; Young Scientist Award (1994-1995) from DST, Govt. of India; Overseas BOYSCAST Award (1996) from DST, Govt. of India; President Award, Society for General Microbiology, UK, 1998; Best U.P. Agriculture Scientist Award (UPCAR) ,Govt of Uttar Pradesh in  2002; Vigyan Ratna Award by CST, Govt. of UP for the year 2003-2004; Jin Xiu Qiu Award in 2006 by People's Govt of Guangxi Province,  Nanning, China; Global Award of Excellence, IS 2008, Al-Ahrish, Egypt; Dr. Ram Badan Singh Vishisht Krishi Vaigyanik Puraskar-2014  by UPCAR, Lucknow, India and Leadership Excellence Award in Sugarcane Crop Protection by Thailand Society of Sugar Cane Technologists, Bangkok.

Nicola Fiore is Plant Pathology Associate Professor at the University of Chile, Faculty of Agronomical Sciences, Department of Plant Health, Santiago, Chile. He is Member of the Sociedad Chilena de Fitopatología, Società Italiana di Patologia Vegetale, American Phytopathological Society, Mediterranean  Phytopathological  Union.  He is invited speaker at many national and international meetings and seminars, member of scientific committees of several international meetings on virology/phytoplasmology, referee for numerous scientific international journals. Awards received: Best work format poster in scientific event: 22^nd International Conference on Virus and other Graft Transmissible Diseases of Fruit Crop (ICVF), Rome, 3-8 June, 2012. He is responsible of the Phytovirolgy laboratory where he is leading a team of about 15 collaborators/students focusing on the diagnosis, epidemiology and control of plant diseases caused by viruses, viroids and bacteria (including phytoplasmas), applying biological approaches and molecular tools. He has elaborated and participated as researcher or director in 20 research projects. He mentored 3 PhD students, 6 Master students and 6 undergraduate thesis students. He maintains consta

Phytoplasma-associated diseases are a major limiting factor to quality and productivity of many ornamentals, horticultural and other economically important agriculture crops worldwide. Annual losses due to phytoplasma diseases in many crops vary, but under the pathogen favorable conditions they always lead to disastrous consequences to farming community. As there is no effective cure for phytoplasma diseases, the management options emphasize on their exclusion, minimizing their spread by insect vectors and propagation materials and on development of host plant resistance. The phytoplasma associated plant diseases have a history of more than 50 years. Phytoplasmas have undoubtedly infected plants and cause diseases for centuries before they are described and proven to be the causal agents. But important progress related to identification of phytoplasmas only began after 1980's. Phytoplasmas have emerged as the most serious constraints in the production of several crops all around theworld during last four decades. Phytoplasmas constitute a major limiting factor to quality and productivity of cereals, horticultural, ornamentals and many other economically important crops all over the world. Annual losses due to phytoplasma diseases may vary, but under the pathogen favorable condition, phytoplasma disease may lead to disastrous consequences for farming and industry community. The scientific literature concerning phytoplasma occurrence, characterization, diagnosis, detection, and management is growing at a fast pace.            

Significant advancement in the last decades on diagnostic, biological and molecular properties, epidemiology, host-pathogen-insect interactions as well as management of phytoplasmas has been made. Till date, no authentic compilation is available to know the progress of phytoplasmas characterization major crops all over the world. The planned book will compile all the updated informationavailable information on phytoplasmas by distinguished experts in the form of edited book entitled "Characterization and epidemiology of phytoplasma associated diseases". The book covers recent and update information on emerging and re-emerging phytoplasma diseases affecting important crops in tropics and subtropics. It provides comprehensive information on disease distribution, occurrence, and identification of the phytoplasmas including the recent approaches for diagnostics, transmission, and information about losses and geographical distribution along with and management aspects. This volume contains 11-12 chapters contributed by the experienced and recognized experts working on different group of phytoplasmas affecting major crops all over the world. The information on various topics is at advanced as well as comprehensive level and provides the period wise developments of phytoplasma research. The book covers major chapters on an up to date progress of phytoplasma research, and then phytoplasma diseases associated with vegetable, pulse, oils crops, cereals, sugar crops, fruit crops, ornamentals, medicinal plants, palms species, forest tress and weeds. We have covered historical background, geographical distribution, identification and characterization, genetic diversity, host pathogen interaction and management aspects of important phytoplasma diseases infecting our major agricultural crops.   

The information on various topics is advanced as well as comprehensive, and provides thought provoking ideas for planning novel research ideas for future. This book will be useful to everyone interested in mollicutes, phytoplasma, spiroplasmas, plant pathology, disease control and plant biology and serve as an exhaustive and up-to-date compendium of references on various aspects of different groups of phytoplasmas affecting important crops worldwide.

Phytoplasmas: an update.- Phytoplasmas infecting vegetable, pulse and oil crops.- Occurrence and epidemiological aspects of phytoplasmas in cereals.- Phytoplasma diseases of industrial crops.- Grapevine phytoplasmas.- Fruit Crop phytoplasmas.- Phytoplasma diseases in ornamental crops.- Phytoplasma diseases of medicinal crops.- Phytoplasma diseases of palms.- Major phytoplasma diseases of forest and urban trees.- Phytoplasma in weeds and wild plants