Plant Diseases and Their Management in Organic Agriculture

The front matter comprises the title page, copyright page, foreword, and preface. The foreword, written by Nicolas Lampkin and Sally Miller, describes this book as a comprehensive treatment of past and current knowledge of diseases in organic production ...

Organic agriculture is governed by the idea that all natural processes within an agroecosystem are, in essence, mutually dependent on each other and that they are self regulated. The farmer guides and stimulates the course of these processes in such a way ...

Plant production practices have a profound effect on plant disease development. These practices can be very different on organic farms compared with those on conventional farms. To understand the ecology of plant pathogens on organic farms, we need to ...

The main annual crops produced according to certified organic standards are crops normally grown in temperate and Mediterranean climates (except for rice, sesame, lentils, and mung beans), because most consumers of these crops are in industrialized ...

Production of fruit has been an integral part of organic farming since the 1920s and even more so after the late 1940s. Fruit trees were a common sight in the agricultural landscape in many areas worldwide, and intensive use of pesticides, especially ...

Greenhouse production is an integral part of organic agriculture. The products appeal to consumers who like to have access to a wide assortment of vegetables throughout the year, preferably from local sources. The most important greenhouse production ...

The development of airborne diseases is driven by cultivar susceptibility, pathogen genotype, climatic conditions, and plant architecture and developmental patterns (early or late maturing) as well as planting patterns, field size and geometry, and within-...

In this chapter, we provide an overview of the current scientific knowledge about soilborne plant diseases in organic crops during the transition period from conventional to organic farming and beyond. Soilborne disease development is placed in an ...

Plant-parasitic nematodes are pathogens that cause major concerns in organic farming systems worldwide. Unfortunately, in many cases, they are not recognized as a major factor causing yield losses since nematode problems are often overlooked, ...

A vector is an organism that transmits a pathogen from one plant to another. If accidental transmission is included, then almost any organism could be a vector, including man. However, the term “vector-borne” is usually restricted to diseases caused by ...

Plant disease development depends on the presence of a susceptible host plant, an aggressive pathogen, and a conducive environment. Pathogens thrive best under certain environmental conditions that are characteristic of the pest-host combination. Each ...

Crop rotation is one of the oldest management strategies in agriculture and has two main purposes: plant nutrition and management of weeds, pests, and diseases, particularly soilborne diseases. Not only is it a long-term strategy for organic agriculture, ...

Water plays a complex role in plant growth, agricultural production, ecological systems, and plant disease development. Researchers and growers have invested in intensive research and investigation to understand water and irrigation dynamics and to ...

Overall, biodiversity enhancement is one of the main pillars of disease management in organic agriculture but also to a large extent in agriculture in general. It is important to understand that diversity has to be considered on many different levels. ...

Cultivars with resistance to one or more diseases are important to all farmers to avoid losses, reduce labor costs, and secure a healthy, sustainable, and marketable product. Such resistant cultivars are especially important to organic farmers in those ...

Obtaining healthy seed and propagation material is one of the key issues in the organic production cycle. For the organic producer, seed quality (genetics, vigor, and health) and price are additional important determinants in the choice of seeds. Under ...

Airborne diseases of plants can be a threat to farmers in certain regions and hinder the expansion of organic agriculture. The problems are increased by continuously increasing trade requirements with respect to external quality, making cosmetic damage ...

Direct control of soilborne diseases in organic production systems can be accomplished through a number of soil disinfestation methods and by targeted applications of biological amendments. Direct control should be viewed as a supplemental pest management ...

A food chain consists of a number of production components that are connected through the transfer of products from primary producers to the consumer. These components include primary production, transportation and storage, processing, storage and ...

Developing truly sustainable organic potato production systems is not only a technical issue but also requires substantial efforts along the entire chain from farm to fork. Producing high-quality potatoes organically is a tremendous challenge. As a ...

Generally, small grains do relatively well when grown organically. In subsistence systems, independence from expensive fertilizer and pesticide inputs often is economically more important than short-term higher yields. Many decisions on the amount and ...

It is conspicuous that practical guides for and reports about organic rice production in the tropics for both small- and large-scale production almost completely ignore diseases and to a large extent insect pest problems, while discussion of weed problems ...

Clearly, being at the heart of organic farming, legume health is of upmost importance. Unfortunately, because legumes have been neglected for many years in conventional agriculture, there are large knowledge gaps and a severe lack of disease resistance, ...

In organic vegetable systems, the overall strategy for managing diseases is to use all available tools and methods in a well-designed strategy that is ecologically and biologically based. This approach requires one to be well informed about the nature of ...

Mechanical and physical control strategies are very efficient in reducing infection potential of inoculum sources in organic apple orchards. While some techniques are commonly adopted, others are not yet widely used because of high labor costs and/or time ...

In the public debate, the discussion often focuses on the use of copper and its environmental impact compared with a best integrated farming practice. However, the most important achievement of organic viticulture is found in the introduction of green ...

Climatic conditions in many areas are not suitable for organic banana production. Because of black Sigatoka, most organic bananas are produced in areas with less than 600 mm of rainfall per year and with long dry periods. For local organic production, a ...

Coffee is one of the most important agricultural commodities on the world market and ranks as one of the top cash crops in developing countries. Coffee is by far the largest organic commodity marketed worldwide. Despite its importance as a cash crop, ...

The back matter includes an index.