Plant Protection in Tropical Root and Tuber Crops

This book is a compilation of information on insect/mite/vertebrate pests and fungal/bacterial/viral/mycoplasma/nematode diseases of tropical root and tuber crops such as cassava, sweet potato, yams, taro, Amorphophallus, yam bean and tannia. The book highlights the distribution, symptoms and damage, biology, survival and spread of each pest and describes management methods. It also sheds light on different eco-friendly pest management strategies including physical, cultural, chemical, biological, host resistance and integrated methods. The book is written in a lucid style using easy-to-understand language and offers adoptable recommendations involving eco-friendly control measures. It serves as a useful reference source for policy makers, research and extension workers, practicing farmers and students. The material can also be used for teaching post graduate courses in state agricultural universities.

Dr. P. Parvatha Reddy obtained his Ph. D. degree jointly from the University of Florida, USA and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

Dr. Reddy served as the Director of the prestigious Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) at Bangalore from 1999 to 2002 during which period the Institute was honored with “ICAR Best Institution Award”. He also served as the Head, Division of Entomology and Nematology at IIHR and gave tremendous impetus and direction to research, extension and education in developing bio-intensive integrated pest management strategies in horticultural crops. These technologies are being practiced widely by the farmers across the country since they are effective, economical, eco-friendly and residue-free. Dr. Reddy has about 34 years of experience working with horticultural crops and involved in developing an F1 tomato hybrid “Arka Varadan” resistant to root-knot nematodes.

Dr. Reddy has over 250 scientific publications to his credit, which also include 30 books. He has also guided two Ph.D. students at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

Dr. Reddy is serving as Chairman, Research Advisory Committee (RAC), Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi; Member, RAC of National Centre for Integrated Pest Management, New Delhi; Member of the Expert Panel for monitoring the research program of National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) in the theme of Horticulture including Pest Dynamics and Pollinators; and Senior Scientific Advisor, Dr. Prem Nath Agricultural Science Foundation, Bangalore. He had also served as Member of the Research Advisory Committee of the National Research Centre for Citrus, Nagpur and the Project Directorate of Biological Control, Bangalore. He served as a Member, QRT to review the progress of the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Trivandrum; AICRP on Tuber Crops; AICRP on Nematodes and AINRP on Betel vine. He isthe Honorary Fellow of the Society for Plant Protection Sciences, New Delhi; Fellow of the Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi and Founder President of the Association for Advancement of Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems (AAPMHE), Bangalore.

 Dr. Reddy has been awarded with the prestigious “Association for Advancement Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems Award”, “Dr. G.I. D’Souza Memorial Lecture Award”, “Prof. H.M. Shah Memorial Award” and “Hexamar Agricultural Research and Development Foundation Award” for his unstinted efforts in developing sustainable, bio-intensive and eco-friendly integrated pest management strategies in horticultural crops.

Dr. Reddy has organized “Fourth International Workshop on Biological Control and Management of Chromolaena odorata”, “National Seminar on Hi-tech Horticulture”, “First National Symposium on Pest Management in Horticultural Crops: Environmental Implications and Thrusts” and “Second National Symposium on Pest Management in Horticultural Crops: New Molecules and Biopesticides”.