Biology, Detection, and Management of Plant Pathogens in Irrigation Water

The First Comprehensive Book on Plant Pathogens

and Their Management in Irrigation Systems

Plant pathogens in irrigation water pose a major threat to crops, and the cost of managing these pathogens is high. Having the latest comprehensive knowledge on these pathogens—as well as how to detect and manage them—is crucial for farms, nurseries, greenhouses, and other crop-based systems that use irrigation.


Biology, Detection, and Management of Plant Pathogens in Irrigation Water is the first book of its kind. In one place, this comprehensive 420-plus page book presents biological information on the range of pathogens found in irrigation water, along with the practical information needed to detect and manage them. The combination of scientific and applied information in this book makes it ideal for both scientists and practitioners. When applied, the information can have a direct and positive impact on some of the biggest challenges facing global agriculture in the twenty-first century, such as water use efficiency, reduction of the environmental footprint, climate change, and food security through the optimal management of pathogens and water resources in irrigation systems.


The authors who contributed chapters to this book are world authorities on plant pathogens in irrigation water. They provide insights on gaps in the current understanding of the aquatic biology of plant pathogens, their detection, and their management. The content of Biology, Detection, and Management of Plant Pathogens is well developed and organized. The main sections are as follows:

•  Part I addresses the links between crop disease and irrigation water. It describes water sources, recycling, and distribution systems and assesses the risks they pose in exposing crops to waterborne plant pathogens. Part I also discusses specific plant pathogens found in these systems.

•  Part II examines the diversity and biology of plant pathogens in water.

•  Part III reviews the latest technologies and methods for detecting and quantifying plant pathogens in irrigation water.

•  Parts IV and V present an array of strategies and tactics for risk avoidance and mitigation. These can be implemented at any point in business development, from land purchase to production system design and in-season management, and at different points in the system, from runoff containment basins to pump houses and production beds.

•  Part V also addresses pathogen management through good system design and the application of best practices.


Nearly 130 images are provided in the book to help users understand diverse irrigation systems, associated pathogens and their detection, and crop health risk mitigation strategies and technologies. A comprehensive table in the appendix gives users rapid access to information on specific plant pathogens that have been found in water, the crops at risk, and specific citations for those records.


Practitioners working with crop production systems will find this title useful, as will scientists and students in the disciplines of plant pathology, agronomy, horticulture, mycology, bacteriology, virology, and nematology. Groups who should have this reference include greenhouse, nursery, and field growers; university and industry researchers; professors and educators; state and county Extension agents; independent crop consultants; agricultural science librarians; undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctorate students; staff and field representatives at irrigation companies; conservation biologists; and policymakers.