Carmel A Pilotti & Paul Bridge 
Ganoderma Diseases of Tropical Crops 

The fungal genus Ganoderma includes around 80 currently recognized species that are widely distributed in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions, and cause disease in a range of economically important perennial crops and tree-like plants.

Ganoderma root and lower stem rots have a significant impact on yields from crops including oil palm, coconut, beverage crops, Acacia and rubber. The identification of species responsible for stem and butt rots is often ambiguous as closely related species may only be distinguished by subtle morphological differences. Within species there can be considerable morphological plasticity and this can make morphology-based identification difficult, particularly for species described from a single specimen. Molecular techniques are helping to slowly resolve Ganoderma taxonomy but it will be some time (if ever) before the taxonomy is fully resolved.

This book brings together information on Ganoderma species that are reported to be responsible for crop diseases in tropical and sub-tropical agriculture and covers taxonomy, biology, genetics, aetiology, epidemiology and control. This book is an essential resource for researchers in Ganoderma in crop science and tropical agriculture, as well as practitioners and industry.

About the author

Paul Dennis Bridge was previously Director of Bioservices at CABI, Head of Evolutionary Biology Group at British Antarctic Survey, and Kew Chair of Mycology at Birkbeck. He has 30 years history in practical microbial systematics in agricultural and environmental programmes. Author of over 150 scientific papers, chapters and reviews and co-editor for 10 books.