Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease. Lawrence E. Datnoff, Wade H. Elmer, and Don M. Huber (editors). 2007. APS Press, St. Paul, MN. 278 pages. $89.00 Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-89054-346-7.
This book covers the relationship of mineral nutrients (elements other than carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen) and biotic and abiotic plant diseases. The book has 18 chapters that are written by scientists with expertise on the specific element under discussion. The editors are major contributors to the text.
The first chapter is “Chemistry of Plant Nutrients in Soil.” It lists 18 plant nutrients, including carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and discusses the availability of these elements from soil, water, and air. The chemistry of these elements in soils is outlined briefly. This chapter discusses some elements that are not recognized generally as plant nutrients or included in the rest of the text but that might be beneficial to plants. The second chapter is “The Physiological Role of Minerals in the Plant.” This chapter gives a good outline of the metabolic and structural functions of all nutrients in plants. Forms in which nutrients (plus silicon) are absorbed by plants, pathways for assimilation of the nutrients, and compounds for which the nutrients are constituents are discussed in brief but informative presentations.
The remaining chapters have titles based on a specific element and its effects on plant diseases. The chapters cover the nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, chlorine, molybdenum, boron, and nickel and two beneficial elements, silicon and aluminum. The chapters on elements have varying structures and lengths. These chapters add to the information presented in the first two chapters concerning nutrient availability in soils and functions in plants. In general, they present the relationship of the nutrient to plant diseases, sometimes with listings of specific crop diseases that may be affected by a specific form of a nutrient in soil or in plants. Mechanisms of the interaction of nutrient and disease, including plant physiology and composition, pathogen growth and virulence, and modification of the environment for optimum nutrition and disease prevention are common topics. The relationships among specific plant metabolites or constituents and infection with diseases are presented in some chapters. Each chapter has a substantial listing of references cited.
Strategies for limiting diseases with nutrient management, such as amounts and timing of application of fertilizers in relation to diseases are discussed. For most nutrients, sources of nutrient and whether the element has a suppressing or enhancing effect on crop diseases are listed and documented extensively. In some chapters, relationships among nutrients are discussed with regards to effects on diseases. Some, but limited, attention is given to cultivar selection for nutrient-use efficiency in relation to disease prevention.
This book is affordable and useful to anyone who is interested in teaching, research, or extension in plant nutrition, plant diseases, or in both topics.