The book makes a modest attempt to highlight the major achievements. The first chapter highlights the status of plant pathology in India before 1905 and sets the stage for an overview of the developments made in the last 100 years. Chapters on significant achievements and current status of knowledge has been contributed by leading experts on mycology, bacteriology, virology and nematology, and also on epidemiological research, fungicide research, biological control, host plant resistance against pathogens and on the application of biotechnological approaches for management of plant diseases. This covered the major broad areas of research in plant pathology. Besides, non conventional chapters encompassing the areas of international co-operation, policy issues and uncommon opportunities are also included along with the role of professional societies of plant pathology in India. Though the volume by no way is a complete account of the vast ocean of information available on various aspects of the subject, it is anticipated that the diverse areas covered in this volume will serve as a roadmap for the younger generation of plant pathologists and policy makers alike who have greater challenges ahead to resolve the pathological problems for augmenting production, ensuring bio-security and facilitating trade in under the changing global trade regime.
I welcome the privilege of writing some words of introduction to this important book. Its authors have been courageous in bringing together in one text a triad of topics that cover such large tracts of biomedical sciences as epidemiology, biochemistry, immunology, and clinical medicine. Malnutrition and infection are known to be closely linked, the one promoting the other. The adaptive immune system forms a part of the link since it is responsible for a good deal of defense against infection, and it may be affected adversely by malnutrition and indeed by infection itself. Knowledge in this complex field is of great potential importance because malnutri tion and infection are such dominant features of the ill-health of many of the world's underprivileged people. As this book shows, there is no lack of technical facets for study. There are now so many components of the immune response which can be measured or assessed and so many aspects of nutritional biochemistry which can be studied that the problem is to select what to study and where to begin. Moreover, the great number of variables in the nature of nutritional deficiencies, in types of infections or multiple infections and in the genetic, environmental, and social background of the affected people, all combine to make interpretation and application of findings a speculative business. Descriptions of cause and effect must us ually be provisional rather than definitive.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.