Ganoderma Diseases of Perennial Crops

Book excerpt: Annotation. Diseases caused by Ganoderma species cause major losses of palms and other perennial crops throughout the world, and these are particularly significant in Asia. Successive replanting of crop monocultures can be rapidly exploited by soil borne fungi such as Ganoderma, and the problem will become more serious in the 21st century, as more areas become due for second or even third replanting. Environmental considerations will reduce exploitation of new forest areas, making further replanting of these crops inevitable. Thus, appropriate, integrated management systems for these diseases are vital. However, the development of such control measures has been hampered in the past by a limited knowledge of the nature and inter-relationships of populations of different hosts and the mechanisms of disease establishment and spread.This book aims to address these limitations through enhanced knowledge of the biology and taxonomy of Ganoderma species. The use of molecular and biochemical methods can be used to provide a greater understanding of the spread of the pathogen, and consequently, the improved management of disease.