Oil palm diseases and disorders: by P.D. Turner. SBN 0-19-580468-6. (xvii+280 pp; £27.50). Kuala...
1
CROP PROTECTION (1983) 2 (1) 121-126 Book reviews Oil Palm Diseases and Disorders, by P.D. Turner. SBN 0-19-580468-6. (xvii+280 pp; £27.50). Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press. 1981. There have been very considerable develop- ments in oil palm cultivation during the past 15 years, as regards the acreages planted, the countries interested in growing the crop, and the diseases known to affect it. It is therefore appropriate that the present book, on oil palm diseases worldwide, should now sup- plant the earlier Diseases and Disorders of the Oil Palm in Malaysia, written by P.D. Turner and the late R.A. Bull. The book begins with a useful introduc- tory chapter giving a survey of the disease situation, along with some thoughts on quarantine. Thereafter there is a logical arrangement of chapters on seed diseases and disorders, nursery diseases, disorders and abnormalities in nurseries, root diseases, stem diseases and leaf diseases of field palms, inflorescence and fruit diseases and dis- orders, miscellaneous disorders of field palms, and nutritional disorders of nursery palms and of field palms. Within these chapters the diseases are dealt with indivi- dually under the standardized headings Occurrence and importance, Symptoms, Cause, and Treatment. A feature of the book is its wealth of photographs, many in colour, showing both external and internal disease symptoms. A slight colour east appears in some of the photographs but in most cases they give a good indication of symptoms as they could be seen in the field. Each chapter ends with a useful list of references. The author has two main aims. The first is to enable planters to identify and treat any diseases and disorders they may encounter. For this purpose the information supplied is clear and succinct, and indeed a good point about the book is its readability, its com- mendable lack of jargon in no way detracting from its accuracy. The second aim is to provide a compre- hensive survey of present knowledge of oil palm pathology. This it does within its limits, although little attention is given to the pathogens themselves. It is, however, most useful to have a single up-to-date source of information on the diseases of the crop, and details of causal organisms can be traced through the references. Fundamental work on oil palm diseases is sadly lacking, and it is to be hoped that one result of this book will be a realization of how little basic information exists concerning many oil palm diseases. There are few plant pathologists with as wide a practical knowledge of oil palm diseases as the author, who is thus well placed to write an authoritative text on the subject. He is to be congratulated on provid- ing a book that is not only good to look at and easy to read, but also of value both to field workers and to research scientists. ANTHONYJOHNSTON Plant Parasitic Nematodes, Volume III, ed. by B.M. Zuckerman and R.A. Rohde. ISBN 0-12-782203-8. (xix+ 508 pp; £43.00; US $65.00). London: Academic Press. 1982. Plant Parasitic Nematodes, Volumes I and II have proved to be a valuable reference source for all workers in plant nematology. Volume III, published 10 years later, usefully updates some reviews in earlier volumes and also includes chapters on new areas of research. There are 27 contributors to 19 chapters which cover four main areas of plant nematology: Biochemistry, Cyto- chemistry and Genetics; Morphology and Function; Host-Parasite Relations; and
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Transcript of Oil palm diseases and disorders: by P.D. Turner. SBN 0-19-580468-6. (xvii+280 pp; £27.50). Kuala...
CROP PROTECTION (1983) 2 (1) 121-126
Book reviews
Oil P a l m Diseases and Disorders, by P.D. Turner. SBN 0-19-580468-6. (xvii+280 pp; £27.50). Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press. 1981.
There have been very considerable develop- ments in oil palm cultivation during the past 15 years, as regards the acreages planted, the countries interested in growing the crop, and the diseases known to affect it. It is therefore appropriate that the present book, on oil palm diseases worldwide, should now sup- plant the earlier Diseases and Disorders of the Oil Palm in Malaysia, written by P.D. Turner and the late R.A. Bull.
The book begins with a useful introduc- tory chapter giving a survey of the disease situation, along with some thoughts on quarantine. Thereafter there is a logical arrangement of chapters on seed diseases and disorders, nursery diseases, disorders and abnormalities in nurseries, root diseases, stem diseases and leaf diseases of field palms, inflorescence and fruit diseases and dis- orders, miscellaneous disorders of field palms, and nutritional disorders of nursery palms and of field palms. Within these chapters the diseases are dealt with indivi- dually under the standardized headings Occurrence and importance, Symptoms, Cause, and Treatment. A feature of the book is its wealth of photographs, many in colour, showing both external and internal disease symptoms. A slight colour east appears in some of the photographs but in most cases they give a good indication of symptoms as they could be seen in the field. Each chapter ends with a useful list of references.
The author has two main aims. The first is to enable planters to identify and treat any diseases and disorders they may encounter. For this purpose the information supplied is clear and succinct, and indeed a good point about the book is its readability, its com-
mendable lack of jargon in no way detracting from its accuracy.
The second aim is to provide a compre- hensive survey of present knowledge of oil palm pathology. This it does within its limits, although little attention is given to the pathogens themselves. It is, however, most useful to have a single up-to-date source of information on the diseases of the crop, and details of causal organisms can be traced through the references.
Fundamental work on oil palm diseases is sadly lacking, and it is to be hoped that one result of this book will be a realization of how little basic information exists concerning many oil palm diseases.
There are few plant pathologists with as wide a practical knowledge of oil palm diseases as the author, who is thus well placed to write an authoritative text on the subject. He is to be congratulated on provid- ing a book that is not only good to look at and easy to read, but also of value both to field workers and to research scientists.
ANTHONY JOHNSTON
Plant Paras i t ic Nematodes , Volume III, ed. by B.M. Zuckerman and R.A. Rohde. ISBN 0-12-782203-8. (xix+ 508 pp; £43.00; US $65.00). London: Academic Press. 1982.
Plant Parasitic Nematodes, Volumes I and I I have proved to be a valuable reference source for all workers in plant nematology. Volume II I , published 10 years later, usefully updates some reviews in earlier volumes and also includes chapters on new areas of research. There are 27 contributors to 19 chapters which cover four main areas of plant nematology: Biochemistry, Cyto- chemistry and Genetics; Morphology and Function; Host-Parasite Relations; and
