Plant Bacteriology

The study of plant bacteriology has led to countless novel findings and advances benefitting medicine and biotechnology, along with horticulture and agriculture. Our understanding of plant bacteriology has reached the point at which it is fitting to integrate its concepts and ideas into an essential reference and textbook. 


Plant Bacteriology provides fundamental knowledge that every plant scientist and student of plant pathology should know, including both key historical events that gave birth to the field and more recent advances. This textbook will serve as a comprehensive resource for graduate students, professors, epidemiologists, diagnosticians, and Extension specialists.


The author, renowned educator and bacteriologist Clarence Kado, has organized the book to help readers understand the emergence of this science. Dr. Kado includes a brief historical account of microbiology that led to emergence of the field of plant bacteriology and weaves in discussions of how bacterial pathogens evolved and are currently classified. This information provides a firm base of understanding for the core chapters that follow. The book clearly illustrates the symptoms of bacterial infections in a way that facilitates comprehension of the many different types of plant diseases they cause. Each symptom type is presented with a detailed example of a causal agent and its characteristics, diagnostics, and mechanisms of virulence and pathogenicity.


Dr. Kado also provides an extended discussion on the molecular mechanisms of virulence and a chapter on epidemiology and disease control, giving readers a current-day understanding of these important concepts. His vision for the future of plant bacteriology and the developments to expect soon will be of interest to all who read this much-anticipated book.


Educators may review the print edition (but not the eBook editions) of Plant Bacteriology for consideration as a course textbook. Call 1.800.328.7560 U.S. and Canada (+1.651.454.7250 elsewhere) or send an e-mail to aps@sicsoc.org. Please include name of course, name of institution, your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and the name of the book. Instructors who examine this textbook for course adoption will be given login and password information to access the online resources.