Novel Biological and Biotechnological Applications in Plant Nematode Management

The volume focuses on novel and effective biological and  biotechnological methods for managing major plant parasitic nematodes in  economically important agricultural crops. Nematodes develop a wide  variety of interactions with soil microbes and host plants, and cause  enormous losses in crop yields equivalent to around USD 173 billion  annually. In view of growing concern for pesticide contamination in  crops, coupled with ban on several efficacious pesticides, and  increasing demand for organic foods, the biological and biotechnological  approaches offer a good alternative to chemicals for managing nematode  infestations in agricultural crops. The book embodies twenty-two  chapters which are arranged in two groups. The first group covers  different novel methods of nematode management such as biotechnological,  biopesticides, microbial consortia, host resistance, omics technology,  transgenics, nano-nematicides, nano-diagnosis, etc. The second groups of  chapters describe important nematode problems in major crops such as  cereals, vegetables, pulses, spices, wood yielding conifers, etc.  Overall, the book collates the latest information on above topics and  offers practical solutions to the limitations and challenges in the  existing management technologies. This book is of interest and serves  up-to-date and elaborated information to agriculture researchers,  teachers, scientists, under-graduates, post-graduates, plant  nematologists, plant pathologists, plant protectionists, agronomists,  horticulturalists, helminthologists, extension workers, and NGOs.