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Effects of gaseous air pollution in agriculture and horticulture
CROP PROTECTION (1984) 3 (1), 125-132
Book reviews Plant Growth Regulators--Agricultural Uses, by Louis G. Nickell. ISBN 3-540-10973-0. (xii+ 173 pp; DM 47.50; US $22.10). Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer-Verlag. 1982. Plant growth regulators, as the author states in his preface, have long been treated like the poor relations of the herbicides. This situation is now changing and the increasing interest in these compounds is reflected in the recent spate of new books and journals dealing with the chemical regulation of growth. Some of these deal with the fundamental aspects of hormone research, others with more applied studies: some stress the historical development of the subject whilst others adopt the chemical approach. The value of the present book is that it gives a concise and comprehensive review of the whole field of growth regulator usage in agricultural, horticultural and plantation crops. The material is presented in 24 chapters, 21 of which deal, in varying degrees of detail, with particular types of plant response. Chapters vary in length from a quite inadequate 10 lines on 'Increase of herbicide absorption and translocation', half a page on 'Plant Shape', two and a half on 'Germination and Dormancy', six and a half on 'Flowering', nine on 'Abscission' to 26 pages on 'Metabolic Effects, Ripening and Yield Increase'--a subject on which the author, through his association with the sugar cane industry, obviously has a special interest. The treatment throughout is admittedly superficial: there is little account of basic research or discussion on modes of action; neither will the practical man find information on which uses are officially approved or guidance on when and at what concentration to apply growth regulators. This is essentially a reference book and particularly useful features are the tables, one of which occupies 16 pages and lists the chemical names of 178 growth regulators together
with their common names, where such exist, code names, some trade names and types of activity. Other tables list the chemicals used in crop desiccation, as herbicide antidotes, grass retardants, sugar-cane ripeners, fruitthinning agents, antitranspirants and gametocides. A potentially useful chapter on 'Toxicology, Environmental and Human Safety' is marred by selective and uneven treatment of the material: thus, the evidence for and against maleic hydrazide is presented in some detail and we are told of the therapy to be applied following accidental consumption of paraquat; but of the 2,4,5-Tldioxin controversy which has caused much public concern in recent years there is no mention. The book contains 29 photographs, mainly of the'treated/untreated' sort but, in general, these do not contribute a great deal and some are of such poor quality that they fail to illustrate clearly the effects they are meant to show. Many are far too contrasty, suggesting that the black-and-white prints have been prepared from colour transparencies. A redeeming feature of this book is the very extensive bibliography of 1201 references to original papers which, together with the well-compiled indices, make this an excellent source book: it could, in fact, well have been entitled 'A guide to the literature on the practical uses of plant growth regulators' and as such it will be very useful to all who are engaged in research or extension work in this rapidly expanding field. L.C. LUCKWILL Effects o f Gaseous Air Pollution in Agriculture and Horticulture, ed. by M.H. Unsworth and D.P. Ormrod. ISBN 0-408-10705-7. (xiv+ 532 pp; £39.00). London & Boston: Butterworth Scientific. 1982. Our knowledge of the possible harmful effects of gaseous atmospheric pollution on the growth of agricultural and horticultural crops has increased considerably over the
126
Book reviews
last decade. The minimum levels of pollutants considered to be harmful to plants were grossly overestimated in the past. Improved experimental techniques, instrumentation and monitoring networks now suggest that large areas of agricultural and horticultural land may be affected by gaseous air pollution. The devotion of the entire 32nd Easter School at Nottingham to consider this subject reflects the widespread concern which has arisen in recent years. Leading authorities on air pollution research from 16 countries participated in the meeting. The primary aim of the symposium was to review the current knowledge on the subject. In the book, this is presented in 20 papers organized in five main sections--(I) Defining the polluted environment; (II) Physiological and biochemical responses to pollutants; (III) Air pollution and the growth and quality of crops; (IV) Interactions; (V) Pollution in perspective. Some papers overlap several sections but almost all of the contributors steer away from the trap of reporting their own methods of research and review their topics extremely well. In the section 'Defining the polluted environment', the distribution of the major aerial pollutants to crop-producing areas is discussed in relation to direct monitoring data and the use of biological indicators. A paper by Unsworth criticizes the use of different types of laboratory systems with different fumigation conditions when assessing the effects of pollutants on plants. This has caused much confusion in the literature in recent years and Unsworth stresses the need for investigators t6 calculate actual uptake of pollutants rather than merely to state supplied concentrations of gases when making comparative studies of the effects of pollutants on plants. The bulk of the b o o k - - l l papers-appear in the sections 'Physiological and biochemical responses to pollutants' and 'Air pollutants and the growth and quality of crops'. These papers comprehensively discuss current understanding of the effects of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, fluoride and ozone on the physiological, biochemical and growth responses of grasses and crop plants. Consideration is given to the effects of these major pollutants on crop yields and a
paper by Bonte discusses effects on flowering and fruiting. A useful and interesting addition to the book is a paper by Law and Mansfield on the pollution problems from nitrogen oxides which are encountered in the production of greenhouse crops. The inclusion of only three papers in the section 'Interactions' is disappointing since this is one of the most important and rapidly expanding areas of air pollution research. However, many contributors in earlier sections of the book do give this topic consideration and the three papers presented give an insight into the need for more research in this area. The papers consider not only the interactive effects of pollutant mixtures on crops but also interactions between air pollutants and parasitic plant diseases and the influence of nutrition in determining the responses of cultivated plants to pollutants. The final three review papers aim to put pollution in perspective and are well worth reading. The first paper considers the evolution of resistant plants to air pollutants and discusses the possibility of breeding resistant crops. This is followed by interesting and authoritative presentations by Heck and Last which assess our current understanding of the subject and pin-point areas requiring further research. Following the review papers are summaries of a poster session. These are useful, concise contributions (under 3 pages) which give the reader an immediate guide to the current lines of research being pursued by groups working in this subject. As a whole, this book must be one of the best sources of information, currently available, on this subject. It will be a valuable reference book for anybody involved in pollution research and is recommended reading for scientists involved in all areas of crop protection. T.W. ASHENDEN Chemical Manipulation o f Crop G r o w t h and D e v e l o p m e n t , ed. by J.S. McLaren. ISBN 0-408-107-67-7. (xiii+ 564 pp; £37.50). London: Butterworth Scientific. 1982. This book contains the edited versions of the papers presented at the 33rd Easter School
Book reviews Plant Growth Regulators--Agricultural Uses, by Louis G. Nickell. ISBN 3-540-10973-0. (xii+ 173 pp; DM 47.50; US $22.10). Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer-Verlag. 1982. Plant growth regulators, as the author states in his preface, have long been treated like the poor relations of the herbicides. This situation is now changing and the increasing interest in these compounds is reflected in the recent spate of new books and journals dealing with the chemical regulation of growth. Some of these deal with the fundamental aspects of hormone research, others with more applied studies: some stress the historical development of the subject whilst others adopt the chemical approach. The value of the present book is that it gives a concise and comprehensive review of the whole field of growth regulator usage in agricultural, horticultural and plantation crops. The material is presented in 24 chapters, 21 of which deal, in varying degrees of detail, with particular types of plant response. Chapters vary in length from a quite inadequate 10 lines on 'Increase of herbicide absorption and translocation', half a page on 'Plant Shape', two and a half on 'Germination and Dormancy', six and a half on 'Flowering', nine on 'Abscission' to 26 pages on 'Metabolic Effects, Ripening and Yield Increase'--a subject on which the author, through his association with the sugar cane industry, obviously has a special interest. The treatment throughout is admittedly superficial: there is little account of basic research or discussion on modes of action; neither will the practical man find information on which uses are officially approved or guidance on when and at what concentration to apply growth regulators. This is essentially a reference book and particularly useful features are the tables, one of which occupies 16 pages and lists the chemical names of 178 growth regulators together
with their common names, where such exist, code names, some trade names and types of activity. Other tables list the chemicals used in crop desiccation, as herbicide antidotes, grass retardants, sugar-cane ripeners, fruitthinning agents, antitranspirants and gametocides. A potentially useful chapter on 'Toxicology, Environmental and Human Safety' is marred by selective and uneven treatment of the material: thus, the evidence for and against maleic hydrazide is presented in some detail and we are told of the therapy to be applied following accidental consumption of paraquat; but of the 2,4,5-Tldioxin controversy which has caused much public concern in recent years there is no mention. The book contains 29 photographs, mainly of the'treated/untreated' sort but, in general, these do not contribute a great deal and some are of such poor quality that they fail to illustrate clearly the effects they are meant to show. Many are far too contrasty, suggesting that the black-and-white prints have been prepared from colour transparencies. A redeeming feature of this book is the very extensive bibliography of 1201 references to original papers which, together with the well-compiled indices, make this an excellent source book: it could, in fact, well have been entitled 'A guide to the literature on the practical uses of plant growth regulators' and as such it will be very useful to all who are engaged in research or extension work in this rapidly expanding field. L.C. LUCKWILL Effects o f Gaseous Air Pollution in Agriculture and Horticulture, ed. by M.H. Unsworth and D.P. Ormrod. ISBN 0-408-10705-7. (xiv+ 532 pp; £39.00). London & Boston: Butterworth Scientific. 1982. Our knowledge of the possible harmful effects of gaseous atmospheric pollution on the growth of agricultural and horticultural crops has increased considerably over the
126
Book reviews
last decade. The minimum levels of pollutants considered to be harmful to plants were grossly overestimated in the past. Improved experimental techniques, instrumentation and monitoring networks now suggest that large areas of agricultural and horticultural land may be affected by gaseous air pollution. The devotion of the entire 32nd Easter School at Nottingham to consider this subject reflects the widespread concern which has arisen in recent years. Leading authorities on air pollution research from 16 countries participated in the meeting. The primary aim of the symposium was to review the current knowledge on the subject. In the book, this is presented in 20 papers organized in five main sections--(I) Defining the polluted environment; (II) Physiological and biochemical responses to pollutants; (III) Air pollution and the growth and quality of crops; (IV) Interactions; (V) Pollution in perspective. Some papers overlap several sections but almost all of the contributors steer away from the trap of reporting their own methods of research and review their topics extremely well. In the section 'Defining the polluted environment', the distribution of the major aerial pollutants to crop-producing areas is discussed in relation to direct monitoring data and the use of biological indicators. A paper by Unsworth criticizes the use of different types of laboratory systems with different fumigation conditions when assessing the effects of pollutants on plants. This has caused much confusion in the literature in recent years and Unsworth stresses the need for investigators t6 calculate actual uptake of pollutants rather than merely to state supplied concentrations of gases when making comparative studies of the effects of pollutants on plants. The bulk of the b o o k - - l l papers-appear in the sections 'Physiological and biochemical responses to pollutants' and 'Air pollutants and the growth and quality of crops'. These papers comprehensively discuss current understanding of the effects of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, fluoride and ozone on the physiological, biochemical and growth responses of grasses and crop plants. Consideration is given to the effects of these major pollutants on crop yields and a
paper by Bonte discusses effects on flowering and fruiting. A useful and interesting addition to the book is a paper by Law and Mansfield on the pollution problems from nitrogen oxides which are encountered in the production of greenhouse crops. The inclusion of only three papers in the section 'Interactions' is disappointing since this is one of the most important and rapidly expanding areas of air pollution research. However, many contributors in earlier sections of the book do give this topic consideration and the three papers presented give an insight into the need for more research in this area. The papers consider not only the interactive effects of pollutant mixtures on crops but also interactions between air pollutants and parasitic plant diseases and the influence of nutrition in determining the responses of cultivated plants to pollutants. The final three review papers aim to put pollution in perspective and are well worth reading. The first paper considers the evolution of resistant plants to air pollutants and discusses the possibility of breeding resistant crops. This is followed by interesting and authoritative presentations by Heck and Last which assess our current understanding of the subject and pin-point areas requiring further research. Following the review papers are summaries of a poster session. These are useful, concise contributions (under 3 pages) which give the reader an immediate guide to the current lines of research being pursued by groups working in this subject. As a whole, this book must be one of the best sources of information, currently available, on this subject. It will be a valuable reference book for anybody involved in pollution research and is recommended reading for scientists involved in all areas of crop protection. T.W. ASHENDEN Chemical Manipulation o f Crop G r o w t h and D e v e l o p m e n t , ed. by J.S. McLaren. ISBN 0-408-107-67-7. (xiii+ 564 pp; £37.50). London: Butterworth Scientific. 1982. This book contains the edited versions of the papers presented at the 33rd Easter School