Advances in Integrated Pest and Disease Management in Horticultural Crops (Vegetable Crops)

Successful cultivation of vegetables is hampered due to the incidence of several insect pests, diseases and nematodes. Pest management in vegetables in South Asia is a very complex issue in view of the subtropical climate, intensive cultivation of high yielding varieties/hybrids under high fertigation, offseason production, lack of adequate knowledge on plant nutrition and protection, economic constraints to maximize qualitative returns and inability to afford risk. A total of 65 million MT as preharvest losses in vegetables due to diseases alone in the world have been estimated that accounts for 10.5%. Many IPM technologies using trap crops, botanicals and bioagents have been developed in some vegetables and a few are validated in farmers' field. The information on pests, diseases and nematodes on vegetable crops is very much scattered. There is no book at present which comprehensively and exclusively deals with the above aspects on vegetable crops. The present book deals with integrated pest, disease and nematode management in vegetable crops in detail using regulatory, physical, cultural, chemical, biological, host plant resistance and integrated methods. This book is a practical guide to growers of vegetable crops. Further, it is a useful reference to students, researchers, extension workers and policy makers. The book can also be used for teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses as well.