Tropical Plant Diseases

i: NJ i:, 'q - - -L" 9 - TROPICAL PLANT _ DISEASES H. David Thurston Department of Plant Pathology Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14853 Published by The American Phytopathological Society St. Paul, Minnesota Murray t, Messiah Cciizv, ,,.,,, e (-raiuira1 l Pow,. - Front cover: Drawing by Jeffrey L. Thurston; @Jeffrey L. Thurston; used by permission This book has been reproduced directly from typewritten copy submitted in final form to The American Phytopathological Society by the author. No editing or proofreading has been done by the Society. To facilitatt, a reduced purchase price, the author has waived royalties. Library of Congress Catalog Card NL'mber: 84-81534 International Standard Book Number: 0-89054-063-2 ©1984 by The American Phytopathological Society All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by photocopy, microfilm, retrieval system, or any other means, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America The American Phytopathological Society 3340 Pilot Knob Road St. Paul, Minnesota 55121, USA CONTENTS Preface ..................................................................... v Acknowledgements ............................................................vii 1. The Tropics ............................................................ 1 2. Farming in the Tropics ................................................. 5 Agricultural systems ................................................. 5 Crop plants .......................................................... 10 People and governments ......................... ..................... li 3. The Importance of Tropical Plant Diseases............................... 15 Losses due to diseases in the tropics ................................. 17 Threatening tropical diseases.......................................... 19