Crop diseases are known to be caused by various abiotic and biotic agents. Diseases in plants are as similar as diseases in animals and human. We cannot see the actual organism responsible for disease but we feel and see the symptoms. Disease can be described as “any deviation from the normal behavior in a living organism is called a disease”, different living organisms have different diseases and different microbes cause different diseases.” Horticultural plants grow in response to their environment. Plants are cultivated from many areas of the world. Each has a different set of environmental conditions to which the plant has become adapted. Much of horticulture is concerned with modifying plant environments to enhance growth. This book covers several of the major environmental factors that influence plant growth, managing diseases, diseases control and the influence of climatic variations on horticultural plants and crops. Graduating students, researchers and teachers desirous of updating the information on different aspects of microbial plant pathogens and the diseases caused by them, will find this book to be useful.

Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh M.Sc., Ph.D and NET (ASRB) in Horticulture (Vegetable Science) and presently working as Assistant Professor (Sr. Scale) in the Division of Vegetable Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology-Kashmir Shalimar Srinagar (India). Dr. Singh also served as Senior Research Fellow in Department of Vegetable Science, NDUA&T, Kumarganj, Faizabad (U.P.) and Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi. He is specialized in vegetable breeding especially in Solanaceous (Tomato) and cucurbitaceous (Cucumber) vegetables. He has an excellent experience of 11 years in the field of research and extension and above six years experience in teaching. As a teacher in SKUAST-K he has taught more than 12 different courses to the student of Post-graduate and doctorate. He has also taught two UG courses. As a resource person delivered several lectures in the training programmes on different topics related to vegetable sciences. He has also take participate in Kisan Melas in University and Institute, Foundation Days of the Institute. As a prolific writer, he has published five books: Manual on Vegetable Breeding, Applied Production Technology of Vegetables, Vegetable Production under Kitchen Garden, Biotechnology for Agriculture & Environment and Kaddu Vargiya Sabziyon ki Vaigyanik Kheti and 10 book chapters, 25 research papers, 72 abstracts, 15 review articles and 32 popular articles and one extension folder in books/journals and magazine. He is also Co-P.I. in two external funded projects in the division. During 2016 awarded Young Scientist Associate Award (Bioved Research Society, Allahabad). He has also worked as paper reviewer in several national and international journals and an editorial member in national and international journals. Dr Singh is life member of several professional bodies and societies. Dr. Raghvendra Singh Sengar, is Associate Research Scientist-I at Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds (MAHYCO), since 2007 till now, handled Regulatory Trials as well as Multi Location & Product Evaluation Trials to develop new products in the Agricultural market. Since May 1994 to 2007 worked at Quality Assurance as Regional Head (North Zone) in the same organization, apart from this since 2001 also participated as internal Auditor for ISO 9001-2000 in North Zone. He has completed his Master of Science (Botany) from Kanpur University, Kanpur presently Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU), with specialization in Plant Pathology. Awarded Ph.D. in Aquatic Environmental Sciences in 1994 from University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. Dr. Sengar has published many research papers in National & International Journals. He is also life time member of Green Earth Foundation, Jaipur, and was member of Editorial board of Indian Journal of Environmental Sciences.