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Principles of host-plant resistance to insect pests
122
Book reviews
should be edited by Dr Carl Huffaker whose entire career has been devoted to insect population ecology, biological control and the concept of integrated pest management. This edited volume is a compilation of, in the main, multi-authored papers, by fiftytwo contributors who include most of the well-known workers on pest management in the United States. The book opens with a review by Dr Huffaker and Dr Ray Smith of the rationale, organization and development of a national integrated pest management project in the United States. This has been sponsored jointly by the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency and involves a well-funded and united effort by 18 American universities. It is followed by a summary by Dr C. A. Shoemaker, of the role of systems analysis in integrated pest management, giving a number of examples where modelling has contributed significantly towards development of pestmanagement programmes. The rest of the volume is concerned with crops where integrated pest management programmes have been most successful. Two chapters review developments towards better pest control, the use of systems analysis and decision-making in control of soybean pests. These are followed by two similar chapters on pest control in cotton, a crop where historically the largest amounts of pesticide chemicals have been used, and where the most advanced work on integrated pest management has been done. These are followed by two chapters on pest control in alfalfa, and one each on pest control in pome and stone fruits, two on pest control in citrus and three on control of pine beetle. As might be expected with such a wide variety of authors, the form and standard of treatment is very variable between chapter and emphasis is often uneven. The book considers only pest management systems in the United States, associated with the N S F EPA integrated pest management, does not refer to the extensive and successful pest management systems that have been developed for protected crops and orchards in Europe, and makes only passing reference to the achievements of the FAO-sponsored global programme on integrated pest con-
trol. However, the volume describes successfully the achievements of the US programme and the successes and limitations of pest management programmes to date. It is clear from most of the contributions that, although the term 'pest' is taken to include insects, arthropods, pathogens and weeds, and pest-management programmes profess to integrate cultural, biological and chemical methods of control of all these organisms, the greatest emphasis remains on the insect pest. The book is essential reading for all involved in crop protection and is a rich source of examples of the success, failures and potential of pest management programmes. Dr Huffaker is to be congratulated on the standard of presentation and editing. CLIVE A. EDWARDS
Principles o f Host-Plant Resistance to Insect Pests, by N. Panda. ISBN 0 906527 11 2. (xix+386 pp; £16.00). Chichester: Packard Publishing Ltd; New York: Allanheld, Osmun & Co. 1979. This book is off-putting with its dreadful production. There are very many typographical errors and damaged or badly planed type abounds. The paper is cheap and mixes matt and glossy to accommodate photographs; the half-tones are produced by the old screen process and are, by and large, very poor and indistinct as a result. The best picture is actually one of the author on the flap of the dust cover. Many of the typographical errors are in Latin names, chemical names and references and therefore are not immediately as obvious as, for example, the misplaced word in the last sentence of the book. There is also inconsistency in the presentation of Latin names in whether authors are cited or not, and how they are cited. However, if one can survive the irritation of such errors, one finds a veritable curate's egg of information and technical detail. The book covers most aspects of plant resistance, both theoretical and practical, with accent on the latter. The material is sometimes ordered
Book reviews
123
in a strange way, for example, the role of abdicating his function of interpreting the plant chemicals in resistance. Secondary literature rather than merely presenting it. T o summarize, the topics covered seem substances, such as terpenoids and alkaloids, appear in a chapter on insect-plant relation- very adequate for a practical text on plant ships followed by a chapter on host-plant resistance to insects and the page allocation selection. A later chapter on genetic resis- to different topics is very acceptable. Howtance again includes secondary substances as ever, the lack of comment on the literature, examples of feeding stimulants or com- that the examples are largely restricted to the pounds resulting in antibiosis, while the next U S A and Asia, and the lack of recent chapter again (biochemistry of resistance) literature, are all major drawbacks, as well as restricts itself to the phenol-phenolase sys- the poor presentation. tem, phytoalexins, metal chelates and antiH. F. VAN EMDEN biotics. Here a heading 'mechanism of antibiosis' appears to refer just to the two last-named. In general the book gives the impression Breeding Plants Resistant to Insects, ed. of being a painstaking collection of the by F. G. Maxwell and P. R. Jennings. I S B N literature into book form. There is little 0 471 03268 9 (xvii+683 pp; £21.45). reference to post-1975 literature and little Wiley-InterScience Publication. New York: critical condensation by the author. For John Wiley & Sons. 1980. example, Chapter 6 accumulates a great deal of literature on how environmental factors This book, described as 'an overview of affect-the expression of resistance. Chapter 7 modern concepts and methods', brings is on techniques for evaluating resistance together the work of 33 authors, mainly but and the literature is combed for methods, by no means all from the USA. The text, 21 with little guidance on their relative merits chapters in all, is divided into two parts, the or disadvantages. A lot of glasshouse first dealing with generalities of 'Plant Resismethods are described yet, in spite of tance to Insects' and the second covering Chapter 6, I could find no obvious caution 'Breeding Systems for Resistance, Breeding about the interpretation of glasshouse data for Resistance in Specific Crops', with on plant resistance. chapters on alfalfa, cassava (manioc), cotton, This is typical of the book--the literature maize, rice, sorghum, forest trees and wheat. has been accepted and presented as it stands; The book is not a compendium of papers but it will save one collecting reprints but one a well-structured comprehensive text, will have to undertake one's own mastication enriched by the multiplicity of contributors and digestion! yet showing substantial uniformity of treatAs expected, the book is heavy on Asian ment and lack of duplication. The text is examples of plant resistance, but there are followed by a combined reference list of 73 also a fair number of American examples. pages, a glossary, classified listings of insect Indeed, the very first chapter is basically and plant species and a large index. Dedidivided into a resum6 of the development of cated to the memory of R. H. Painter, resistant crops, first in the U S A and second Breeding Plants Resistant to Insects is written in Asia. One is left wondering why the rest of as a text for university teaching and a basic the world has been ignored--especially source for research workers concerned with Africa and Australia. host-plant resistance and plant breeding and All in all, the book is essentially practical provides an up-to-date volume to stand with in comparison with other books on the same Painter's original (1951) work in this field. topic published in recent years. The title Much of the book is concerned with 'Principles o f . . . ' therefore suggests compe- practical information, but a wide range of tition which is not really there with other conceptual views is evident amongst the books--it succeeds in maintaining its practi- authors, some views appearing to be incomcal emphasis more or less throughout but patible with others, and students should this is surely no excuse for the author beware of accepting uncritically all the con-
Book reviews
should be edited by Dr Carl Huffaker whose entire career has been devoted to insect population ecology, biological control and the concept of integrated pest management. This edited volume is a compilation of, in the main, multi-authored papers, by fiftytwo contributors who include most of the well-known workers on pest management in the United States. The book opens with a review by Dr Huffaker and Dr Ray Smith of the rationale, organization and development of a national integrated pest management project in the United States. This has been sponsored jointly by the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency and involves a well-funded and united effort by 18 American universities. It is followed by a summary by Dr C. A. Shoemaker, of the role of systems analysis in integrated pest management, giving a number of examples where modelling has contributed significantly towards development of pestmanagement programmes. The rest of the volume is concerned with crops where integrated pest management programmes have been most successful. Two chapters review developments towards better pest control, the use of systems analysis and decision-making in control of soybean pests. These are followed by two similar chapters on pest control in cotton, a crop where historically the largest amounts of pesticide chemicals have been used, and where the most advanced work on integrated pest management has been done. These are followed by two chapters on pest control in alfalfa, and one each on pest control in pome and stone fruits, two on pest control in citrus and three on control of pine beetle. As might be expected with such a wide variety of authors, the form and standard of treatment is very variable between chapter and emphasis is often uneven. The book considers only pest management systems in the United States, associated with the N S F EPA integrated pest management, does not refer to the extensive and successful pest management systems that have been developed for protected crops and orchards in Europe, and makes only passing reference to the achievements of the FAO-sponsored global programme on integrated pest con-
trol. However, the volume describes successfully the achievements of the US programme and the successes and limitations of pest management programmes to date. It is clear from most of the contributions that, although the term 'pest' is taken to include insects, arthropods, pathogens and weeds, and pest-management programmes profess to integrate cultural, biological and chemical methods of control of all these organisms, the greatest emphasis remains on the insect pest. The book is essential reading for all involved in crop protection and is a rich source of examples of the success, failures and potential of pest management programmes. Dr Huffaker is to be congratulated on the standard of presentation and editing. CLIVE A. EDWARDS
Principles o f Host-Plant Resistance to Insect Pests, by N. Panda. ISBN 0 906527 11 2. (xix+386 pp; £16.00). Chichester: Packard Publishing Ltd; New York: Allanheld, Osmun & Co. 1979. This book is off-putting with its dreadful production. There are very many typographical errors and damaged or badly planed type abounds. The paper is cheap and mixes matt and glossy to accommodate photographs; the half-tones are produced by the old screen process and are, by and large, very poor and indistinct as a result. The best picture is actually one of the author on the flap of the dust cover. Many of the typographical errors are in Latin names, chemical names and references and therefore are not immediately as obvious as, for example, the misplaced word in the last sentence of the book. There is also inconsistency in the presentation of Latin names in whether authors are cited or not, and how they are cited. However, if one can survive the irritation of such errors, one finds a veritable curate's egg of information and technical detail. The book covers most aspects of plant resistance, both theoretical and practical, with accent on the latter. The material is sometimes ordered
Book reviews
123
in a strange way, for example, the role of abdicating his function of interpreting the plant chemicals in resistance. Secondary literature rather than merely presenting it. T o summarize, the topics covered seem substances, such as terpenoids and alkaloids, appear in a chapter on insect-plant relation- very adequate for a practical text on plant ships followed by a chapter on host-plant resistance to insects and the page allocation selection. A later chapter on genetic resis- to different topics is very acceptable. Howtance again includes secondary substances as ever, the lack of comment on the literature, examples of feeding stimulants or com- that the examples are largely restricted to the pounds resulting in antibiosis, while the next U S A and Asia, and the lack of recent chapter again (biochemistry of resistance) literature, are all major drawbacks, as well as restricts itself to the phenol-phenolase sys- the poor presentation. tem, phytoalexins, metal chelates and antiH. F. VAN EMDEN biotics. Here a heading 'mechanism of antibiosis' appears to refer just to the two last-named. In general the book gives the impression Breeding Plants Resistant to Insects, ed. of being a painstaking collection of the by F. G. Maxwell and P. R. Jennings. I S B N literature into book form. There is little 0 471 03268 9 (xvii+683 pp; £21.45). reference to post-1975 literature and little Wiley-InterScience Publication. New York: critical condensation by the author. For John Wiley & Sons. 1980. example, Chapter 6 accumulates a great deal of literature on how environmental factors This book, described as 'an overview of affect-the expression of resistance. Chapter 7 modern concepts and methods', brings is on techniques for evaluating resistance together the work of 33 authors, mainly but and the literature is combed for methods, by no means all from the USA. The text, 21 with little guidance on their relative merits chapters in all, is divided into two parts, the or disadvantages. A lot of glasshouse first dealing with generalities of 'Plant Resismethods are described yet, in spite of tance to Insects' and the second covering Chapter 6, I could find no obvious caution 'Breeding Systems for Resistance, Breeding about the interpretation of glasshouse data for Resistance in Specific Crops', with on plant resistance. chapters on alfalfa, cassava (manioc), cotton, This is typical of the book--the literature maize, rice, sorghum, forest trees and wheat. has been accepted and presented as it stands; The book is not a compendium of papers but it will save one collecting reprints but one a well-structured comprehensive text, will have to undertake one's own mastication enriched by the multiplicity of contributors and digestion! yet showing substantial uniformity of treatAs expected, the book is heavy on Asian ment and lack of duplication. The text is examples of plant resistance, but there are followed by a combined reference list of 73 also a fair number of American examples. pages, a glossary, classified listings of insect Indeed, the very first chapter is basically and plant species and a large index. Dedidivided into a resum6 of the development of cated to the memory of R. H. Painter, resistant crops, first in the U S A and second Breeding Plants Resistant to Insects is written in Asia. One is left wondering why the rest of as a text for university teaching and a basic the world has been ignored--especially source for research workers concerned with Africa and Australia. host-plant resistance and plant breeding and All in all, the book is essentially practical provides an up-to-date volume to stand with in comparison with other books on the same Painter's original (1951) work in this field. topic published in recent years. The title Much of the book is concerned with 'Principles o f . . . ' therefore suggests compe- practical information, but a wide range of tition which is not really there with other conceptual views is evident amongst the books--it succeeds in maintaining its practi- authors, some views appearing to be incomcal emphasis more or less throughout but patible with others, and students should this is surely no excuse for the author beware of accepting uncritically all the con-