The Diagnosis of Plant Diseases

The diagnosis of plant ailments is an art. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of plant disease is necessary before timely and proper measures can be suggested for control or prevention, however the scarcity of local, professional practitioners means that plant pathologists at universities are often requested to assist in diagnostic work. Yet the many professional demands of university plant pathologists have left those who encounter plant, crop, and forest problems without qualified individuals to turn to for help.

Drawing on the knowledge, research, and experience of university and industry plant pathologists, this manual will guide everyone—researchers, teachers, personnel from federal and state agencies, plant nursery staff, hobbyist gardeners, or anyone else who works with plants—to better plant-disease work and less time spent in learning diagnostic procedures.

In this manual for rapid and accurate diagnosis, control, and prevention of plant diseases, Dr. Rubert B. Streets has not only developed a practical field and laboratory guide for plant-disease diagnosis, but also articulated a vision for the role of the plant pathologist: a careful observer, a dedicated practitioner who embraces the personal challenge of identifying plant diseases—and a questioner.