This book summarizes our current knowledge on belowground defence strategies in plants by world-class scientists actively working in the area. The volume includes chapters covering belowground defence to main soil pathogens such as Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Verticillium, Phytophthora, Pythium and Plasmodiophora, as well as to migratory and sedentary plant parasitic nematodes. In addition, the role of root exudates in belowground plant defence will be highlighted. Finally, accumulating evidence on how plants can differentiate beneficial soil microbes from the pathogenic ones will be covered as well. This will be further highlighted in chapters covering the plant responses to beneficial micro-organisms such as non-pathogenic Fusarium, Trichoderma, Piriformospora and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Better understanding of belowground defences can lead to the development of environmentally friendly plant protection strategies effective against soil-borne pathogens which cause substantial damageon many crop plants all over the world. The book will be a useful reference for plant pathologists, agronomists, plant molecular biologists as well as students working on these and related areas.

Inhalt

1 Introduction to belowground defense strategies in plants.- PART I General principles of belowground defense strategies.- 2 Belowground defense strategies in plants: Parallels between root responses to beneficial and pathogenic micro-organism.- 3 Root exudates as an integral part of belowground plant defense.- PART II Belowground defense strategies to root pathogens.- 4 Belowground defense strategies against Fusarium oxysporum.- 5 Belowground defense strategies against Rhizoctonia.- 6 Belowground defense strategies against Verticillium.- 7 Belowground and aboveground strategies of plant resistance against Phytophthora species.- 8 Belowground signaling and defense in host-Pythium interactions.- 9 Belowground defense strategies against clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae).- 10 Belowground defense strategies against sedentary nematodes.- 11 Belowground defense strategies against migratory nematodes.- PART III Root responses to beneficial micro-organisms.- 12 Root interactions with non-pathogenic Fusarium.- 13 Belowground defense strategies in plants: the plant-Trichoderma dialogue.- 14 Defense reactions in roots elicited by endofungal bacteria of the Sebacinalean symbiosis.- 15 Mitigating abiotic stresses in crop plants by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.