biotic interactions and soil-borne diseases

2
76 Book Reviews/FieM CropsResearch35 (1993) 75-77 placing the discussion of experimental results in a framework of concepts and theories of plant morpho- genesis. Additionally, the usefulness of the text could have been improved by including summaries of the major sections. Lastly, the text suffers from poor edit- ing. Numerous examples of improper punctuation, incomplete sentences, inaccurate wording, and mis- spelled words, probably as a result of translation prob- lems from Czech to English, detract from the readability of the text. Jeffery D. Ray Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX 79409, USA Biotic Interactions and Soil-Borne Diseases. A.B.R. Beemster, G.J. Bollen, M. Gerlagh, M.A. Ruissen, B. Schippers and A. Tempel (Editors). Develop- ments in Agricultural and Managed-Forest Ecology 23. Proceedings of the first conference of the Euro- pean Foundation for Plant Pathology. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1991, xviii + 428 pp., US$120.00 (Dr. 210.00), ISBN 0-444-88728-8. Perhaps this work's greatest value and selling point are that it presents in one place a wide range of activities and interests which, in the words of the preface repre- sent "the state of the art of research on biotic interac- tions and soil-borne diseases in Europe". The contents are grouped into eight sections, which contain a total of 78 contributions. The largest section (18 contribu- tions) concerns fungal antagonism and the shortest (one contribution) is about biocontrol and agricultural practice. The other sections, in descending order of numbers of contributions are on bacterial antagonism (13), fate of natural and manipulated organisms ( 11 ), interactions between soil microflora and fauna (ten), crop-induced and site-specific antagonism (ten), trans- mission of viruses by soil organisms (nine) and a curi- ously out-of-place section on 'other aspects of soil- borne diseases' (six). The contributions themselves range from substantial review papers of about 20 pages and with many references, through research reports with few references to 15, half-page abstracts with no references. Those acquainted with the subject will find much familiar ground. They may also note that explanations of the effects and mechanisms of some of the interac- tions have become more complicated. This is in part a response to evident inadequacies in many of the original 'single responsible factor' ideas. A simple manifesta- tion of this trend is seen in the number of reports advo- cating combinations of antagonists to control disease. A significant proportion of the work repotted seems to revolve around a limited number of strains (e.g. resis- tant mutant strains of fungi, fluorescent pseudomo- nads) and techniques ( e .g. peat-bran preparations) and the implications of this are not explored in any detail. New, or at least, less-familiar ground is covered by such matters as a strong emphasis on the importance of soil animals, the application of the MPN technique for vec- tor-transmitted virus and the successful transformation of Trichoderma spp. New concepts, however, are not much in evidence. The majority of views on biological and integrated control are, not unexpectedly, favourable. Because of this, I found myself wondering perversely about an 'alternative book', based on views and references not given. I do not wish to imply that the protagonists are unaware of the problems. Indeed, the need for basic knowledge and good methods is stressed by many con- tributors and, in one way or another, attention is drawn to the fragmentary nature of our fundamental knowl- edge, the need for a better understanding of soil eco- systems to achieve significant progress and, for many problems, the need for long-term field studies. Many of the interactions that are reported to decrease disease are acknowledged to do so at low, or moderate levels of disease only. Yet, instead of getting to grips with all this realism, some contributors have ignored it and con- sequently there are too many reports which proceed little beyond tests for antagonism on agar plates, or what might be termed 'tricks in pots' and the feeling that much effort is being wasted on the same old thing is hard to avoid. Pot tests are attractive in that they produce promising results for reports and publications, but for diseases of crops not usually grown in pots, they are no longer enough. Similarly, the use of sophisticated tech- niques to elucidate the mechanism of antagonism between organisms, where that antagonism has been

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Page 1: Biotic interactions and soil-borne diseases

76 Book Reviews/FieM Crops Research 35 (1993) 75-77

placing the discussion of experimental results in a framework of concepts and theories of plant morpho- genesis. Additionally, the usefulness of the text could have been improved by including summaries of the major sections. Lastly, the text suffers from poor edit- ing. Numerous examples of improper punctuation, incomplete sentences, inaccurate wording, and mis-

spelled words, probably as a result of translation prob- lems from Czech to English, detract from the readability of the text.

Jeffery D. Ray Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX 79409, USA

Biotic Interactions and Soil-Borne Diseases. A.B.R. Beemster, G.J. Bollen, M. Gerlagh, M.A. Ruissen, B. Schippers and A. Tempel (Editors). Develop- ments in Agricultural and Managed-Forest Ecology 23. Proceedings of the first conference of the Euro- pean Foundation for Plant Pathology. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1991, xviii + 428 pp., US$120.00 (Dr. 210.00), ISBN 0-444-88728-8.

Perhaps this work's greatest value and selling point are that it presents in one place a wide range of activities and interests which, in the words of the preface repre- sent "the state of the art of research on biotic interac- tions and soil-borne diseases in Europe". The contents are grouped into eight sections, which contain a total of 78 contributions. The largest section (18 contribu- tions) concerns fungal antagonism and the shortest (one contribution) is about biocontrol and agricultural practice. The other sections, in descending order of numbers of contributions are on bacterial antagonism (13), fate of natural and manipulated organisms ( 11 ), interactions between soil microflora and fauna (ten), crop-induced and site-specific antagonism (ten), trans- mission of viruses by soil organisms (nine) and a curi- ously out-of-place section on 'other aspects of soil- borne diseases' (six). The contributions themselves range from substantial review papers of about 20 pages and with many references, through research reports with few references to 15, half-page abstracts with no references.

Those acquainted with the subject will find much familiar ground. They may also note that explanations of the effects and mechanisms of some of the interac- tions have become more complicated. This is in part a response to evident inadequacies in many of the original 'single responsible factor' ideas. A simple manifesta- tion of this trend is seen in the number of reports advo- cating combinations of antagonists to control disease.

A significant proportion of the work repotted seems to revolve around a limited number of strains (e.g. resis- tant mutant strains of fungi, fluorescent pseudomo- nads) and techniques ( e .g. peat-bran preparations) and the implications of this are not explored in any detail. New, or at least, less-familiar ground is covered by such matters as a strong emphasis on the importance of soil animals, the application of the MPN technique for vec- tor-transmitted virus and the successful transformation of Trichoderma spp. New concepts, however, are not much in evidence.

The majority of views on biological and integrated control are, not unexpectedly, favourable. Because of this, I found myself wondering perversely about an 'alternative book', based on views and references not given. I do not wish to imply that the protagonists are unaware of the problems. Indeed, the need for basic knowledge and good methods is stressed by many con- tributors and, in one way or another, attention is drawn to the fragmentary nature of our fundamental knowl- edge, the need for a better understanding of soil eco- systems to achieve significant progress and, for many problems, the need for long-term field studies. Many of the interactions that are reported to decrease disease are acknowledged to do so at low, or moderate levels of disease only. Yet, instead of getting to grips with all this realism, some contributors have ignored it and con- sequently there are too many reports which proceed little beyond tests for antagonism on agar plates, or what might be termed 'tricks in pots' and the feeling that much effort is being wasted on the same old thing is hard to avoid. Pot tests are attractive in that they produce promising results for reports and publications, but for diseases of crops not usually grown in pots, they are no longer enough. Similarly, the use of sophisticated tech- niques to elucidate the mechanism of antagonism between organisms, where that antagonism has been

Page 2: Biotic interactions and soil-borne diseases

Book Reviews/Field Crops Research 35 (1993) 75-77 77

identified on agar plates, may have little relevance to more natural systems.

With six editors and contributions from many of the big European names in the field, this should have been a book to savour. Reading it, one does indeed gain a sense of "the enormous task to exploit biotic processes and phenomena to attain crop production that is harm- less to the environment and yet guarantees high-quality production". Whether this leaves you with a sense of elation, or of d6jh vu, will depend to some extent on your experience of the subject. My view is that whereas the book most certainly succeeds as a shop window for what is going on in Europe, it is short on realistic ideas for significant progress in the near future. In itself this is no great criticism, because it probably reflects the state of a subject described in the last chapter as in need of change if we are not to have another "100 years of 'biological control' as an interesting phenomenon with little practical evidence of value". (I must compliment

the editors here for their open mindedness in allowing such a discordant view to be expressed in their book.) The disappointment of this book is, however, its une- venness in everything from the differences in typescript to the length, quality and value of the contributions. One may argue that this is inevitable where camera- ready copy is used and everything at the conference is included and, had the price matched such an approach, I would not have quibbled. However the price prompts expectations which could have been met only by some informed selection, an index and far more editing to remove errors and some of the repetition and to ensure that all references cited were also listed.

David Hornby Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique

Station de Pathologie V~g~tale B.P. 29

35650 Le Rheu France