L. C.C.B. Ferraz and D.J.F. Brown. — An introduction to nematodes: plant nematology. A student's textbook

Nematology , 2005, Vol. 7(3), 480 Book review L.C.C.B. Ferraz and D.J.F. Brown. An introduction to nematodes: plant nematology. A student’s textbook. Sofia, Bulgaria, Pensoft Publishers (2002). 236 pp. ISBN 954-642-155-3. Price: US$19, € 19. This book is divided into 11 chapters, intended as lectures, that an individual high school biology teacher or university lecturer can adapt to provide introductory courses to plant nematology at the high school student or undergraduate level. Instead of following the usual struc- ture of providing the student first with a comprehensive understanding of the systematics and taxonomy of Ne- matoda followed by a description of their morphological structure, form and function, this book deals first with the importance of plant nematodes as pathogens in agriculture in order to raise the interest of the student in plant nema- todes. Each lecture is illustrated with numerous (black and white) photographs and figures and is followed by a list of i) selected reading and ii) advanced reading publications and books. The authors have taken care to select publica- tions and books that are easily available. In Lecture 1 the importance of plant nematodes in modern agriculture is described. Special attention is given to the fact that nematodes are unseen enemies which are often overlooked as the cause of plant damage and yield loss. Also, a historical synopsis is given of the most important milestones in plant nematology. Lectures 2-4 deal with the ectoparasitic nematodes (Lecture 2), endoparasitic nematodes, mainly root-knot and cyst nematodes (3), and other endo- and semi- endoparasitic nematodes (Pratylenchus , Radopholus , Na- cobbus , Rotylenchulus and Tylenchulus semipenetrans) (4) of major economic importance. There is less emphasis on descriptions of the morphology of the nematodes but attention is given to the worldwide importance of the most important plant nematode genera or species and how they attack and damage plants. In Lecture 2, a short introduc- tion to virus transmission by nematodes is presented. In Lecture 3, the life cycle, species identification and host- parasite relationship of root-knot and cyst nematodes is described in more detail. In all three chapters the symp- toms caused by the different types of nematodes are high- lighted and illustrated. The descriptions of the nematodes parasites of aerial plants of parts are grouped in Lecture 5: bud and leaf ne- matodes (Aphelenchoides), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus , Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus , seed and leaf gall nema- todes (Anguina) and Ditylenchus dipsaci . The lectures that describe the nematodes of major eco- nomic importance are followed by a series of lectures dealing with the morphology and structure (Lecture 6), reproduction (7), bio-ecology (8), parasitism of plants (9) and control of plant nematodes (10). The description of the different morphological structures, modes of repro- duction, factors affecting nematode population, etc., is kept well schematised and restricted to the most important features or topics without mentioning the endless varia- tion often observed. Lecture 11, finally, deals with the taxonomy and classi- fication of the nematodes of major economic importance. An overview of the higher classification of the phylum Nematoda comprising taxa reported or suspected to be plant nematodes is provided, as well as diagnoses of the families dealt with in the previous lectures. The lecture ends with an overview of molecular techniques (protein- and DNA-based) used to identify plant nematodes. In an appendix, lists of CD-ROMs, digitised videos, films, digitised books, internet web sites, databases, ne- matology journals and nematology societies are given. This book is an excellent demonstration that plant ne- matology can be a fascinating subject area if it is presented in the right way. It is well written, abundantly illustrated, entertaining and interest-stimulating. In his preface, Luiz Ferraz states that “a fundamental reason that makes Ne- matology an almost completely unknown subject area to the general public is the generally inadequate, lack of, and frequently absence of, teaching of the subject to junior school, high school and undergraduate students”. With this book, the authors have certainly made a valuable con- tribution in making available a series of lectures that, in an attractive and stimulating way, present nematology to a wider audience. Because of its wide scope, it is also of interest to the graduate and postgraduate student or other professionals (e.g., extension workers) who can use it as a basic document to explore in more depth certain aspects of plant nematodes and their interaction with agricultural crops. D IRK D E W A E L E Laboratory of Tropical Crop Improvement, Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, Catholic University of Leuven (K.U. Leuven), Kasteelpark Arenberg 13, 3001 Leuven, Belgium © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2005 480 Also available online - www.brill.nl