Diseases, Pests and Disorders of Potatoes – A Colour Handbook ‐ Edited by Stuart Wale, H.W. (Bud) Platt and Nigel Cattlin

Diseases, Pests and Disorders of Potatoes – A Colour Handbook . Stuart Wale, H.W. (Bud) Platt and Nigel Cattlin (eds) . 240 pp . London, UK : Manson Publishing Ltd ( http://www.mansonpublishing.com ). 2008 . £45 . ISBN 978-1-84076-021-7 (hardback) . Potatoes rank fourth in the world's most important crops. Their agricultural significance to the world's food supply has been recognised by the United Nations who have designated 2008 as the ‘Year of the Potato’. It is appropriate, therefore, to see this book published this year. This book, part of Manson's Plant Protection Handbook Series, has been edited by former BSPP President, Stuart Wale (Scotland) and Bud Platt (Canada) together with photographer Nigel Cattlin. The Handbook covers diseases, pests and disorders and the authors state, ‘This book is intended as a practical guide and tool. We expect and hope that it will be carried around and referred to in the field, ... in the laboratory, on an everyday basis’. For potato growers, advisors and researchers, as well as a teaching guide too, the book will certainly be useful. The authors in their Introduction and Diagnostics chapters succinctly put the potato in proper context with other major crops; consider how their book will be different from its major rival, the APS ‘Compendium of Potato Diseases’ (2nd Edition) published in 2001 and reviewed in Plant Pathology 51, 520; and usefully describe current technology for detection and diagnosis of the numerous problems confronting potatoes. Like the APS Compendium, various contributors (19) from Canada, Peru and the USA provide text together with Wale and Platt for each pest/pathogen, all of which have short sections on: symptoms; status of the disease or pest; life cycle and biology; and control – followed by key references. Using 235 superb colour images throughout, this particular publication surpasses the APS publication, and, of course, provides more up-to-date references. Unfortunately some of the latter were inaccurate on author initials, surnames and book titles. The book covers 18 fungal/oomycetous diseases, problems caused by 10 viruses/phytoplasmas, 4 bacterial diseases and 5 nematode genera, but unlike the Compendium, includes a dozen damaging insects and other pests. Non-infectious disorders are also considered. The book ends with a glossary and index. However, more spelling mistakes occur in the latter, sometimes repeated in the indexed pages – casualties of careless checking at the proof stage include generic names of several microorganisms, a host species and a couple of fungicides. However, despite these errors, the book is affordable and will be appreciated by its target audience.

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