Methods of Bacterial Plant Pathology

The book is intended as a reference book for practical classes of under graduate and post graduate students for studying bacterial diseases of plants. The book covers basic and applied aspects of the subject. The book begins with a brief description about bacteria and their properties of the twenty chapters, first five describe methods of sterilization of laboratory equipments and cultural media, isolation of pathogenic bacteria from host, microscopic studies of infected host, growth and measurement of bacteria and staining methods for bacteria. Next five chapters describes inoculation techniques, culture media, differential and selective media, biochemical characters, changes in chlorophyll a,b, carotenes and xanthophylls in infected plants. Next four chapters deal with production of pectinolytic enzymes by bacteria, preservatives for diseased specimen, isolation of bacteriophage and preservations of bacterial cultures. The next five chapters describes electron microscopic studies of bacteria Rhizobium culture for seed treatment, taxonomy of plant pathogenic bacteria and modern trends, some important references on taxonomy of bacteria and measurement of pH. The twentieth chapter deals with development of plant bacteriology in India.