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.

Dr. Mujeebur Rahman Khan, is a Professor and Chairperson, at the Department of Plant Protection, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), India, and has served as the Dean, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, AMU. He obtained Ph.D. in Botany (Plant Pathology & Nematology) from AMU, and worked as postdoc at the North Carolina State University, California Department of Food and Agriculture, U.S.A. and the Commonwealth Institute of Parasitology, U.K. He has a credit of more than 300 research publications and review articles, 18 books (CABI, CRC/Science, Elsevier, Springer, NOVA Science, Oxford and IBH, etc.), 2 patents on biopesticides (USA and India), and 8 major research projects. He has guided 14 PhD and 52 MSc students. Dr. Khan is Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (India), Indian Phytopathological Society etc., and Editor to Indian Phytopathology. He is recipient of various awards: Dr. K. C. Mehta Award (NAAS), B. B. Mundukar Award (IPS), Outstanding Scientist Award (AMU), Prof. H. L. Chakraborti Award (ISCA), Outstanding Scientist Award (SPSS), Prof. H. M. Shah Memorial (NSI), and Best Research Project Award (AMU). His research interest includes plant disease management; impact of climate change and environmental contamination on plant disease development; and biosynthesis of nanoparticles and their effects on plants/microbes.