Nematode Disease Complexes in Agricultural Crops

Plant diseases where two or more pathogens are involved in the infection process are commonly termed as "complex", and their diagnosis and subsequent control become more complicated and challenging. A disease complex is produced through synergistic interaction between pathogens, such as plant nematodes and soil-borne fungi or bacteria. Disease complexes which result from the interaction between nematodes and other pathogens are found on a range of agricultural crops globally, and cause great crop damage. Some pathogens e.g. Fusarium, Xanthomonas, etc. become more aggressive in cohabitance with nematodes, even if the inoculum density is low or the host cultivar is resistant. Plant nematodes can also act as vectors, and carry fungi and bacteria to the susceptible tissue or introduce plant viruses into the host. Some nematodes also need a vector for their spread, causing serious diseases, like pine wilt and red-ring. Nematode Disease Complexes in Agricultural Crops discusses the roles plant nematodes may play in the formation of a disease complex. It provides an account of the agricultural significance, aetiology and epidemiology of important disease complexes and their management strategies based on integration of conventional, current and innovative approaches.

Mujeebur Rahman Khan is a Professor and Chairperson at the Department of Plant Protection, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), India, and has served as the Dean, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, AMU. He obtained Ph.D. in Botany (Plant Pathology & Nematology) from AMU, and worked as postdoc at the North Carolina State University, California Department of Food and Agriculture, USA, and the Commonwealth Institute of Parasitology, UK. He has to his credit more than 300 research publications and review articles, 20 books (CABI, CRC/Science, Elsevier, Springer, NOVA Science, Cambridge, Oxford and IBH, etc.), 2 patents on biopesticides (USA and India), and 10 major research projects. He has guided around 20 Ph.D. and 55 MSc students. Dr. Khan is a Fellow of the International Society of Environmental Botanists, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (India), and Indian Phytopathological Society, and Editor of Indian Phytopathology. He has received various awards, important: Dr. K. C. Mehta Award (NAAS), B. B. Mundukar Award (IPS), Outstanding Scientist Award (AMU), Prof. H. L. Chakraborti Award (ISCA), Outstanding Scientist Award (SPSS), Prof. H. M. Shah Memorial (NSI), and Best Research Project Award (AMU). His research interest includes management of mono and multi-pathogenic plant diseases, impact of climate change and environmental contamination on plant disease development, and biosynthesis of nanoparticles and their effects on plants and microbes.

Dr. Zineb Belabess is a research scientist at INR-Morocco, specializing in plant virology and entomology. She obtained her State Engineering degree from ENA in 2011. She earned her PhD in virology from Moulay Ismail University in 2017 in collaboration with ENA of Meknes and CIRAD of Montpellier. Her research focuses on two sectors, Citrus, and Vegetable Farming, aiming for a better understanding of the prevalence and genetic diversity of plant viruses in Morocco to mitigate their impact. Her objectives are to ensure competitive and sustainable agriculture in line with the strategic orientations of national agricultural development policies. Her current research projects: (i) Prevention and control of geminiviruses infecting vegetable crops in the Mediterranean basin: GeMed project of the PRIMA (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area) initiative. Principal investigator, and coordinator of a work package on diagnostics; (ii) Detection and molecular characterization of viruses associated with citrus in the Berkane region: Medium-Term Research Project (PRMT) of INRA. Recipient of a grant from the International Foundation for Science to study potato viruses in the Northeast of Morocco. Dr. Belabess has authored and co-authored 45 papers in plant pathology and plant protection, focusing on viruses affecting citrus and tomato plants. She has also supervised several students in plant pathology, collaborating with ENA-Meknes.

Dr. Rachid Lahlali is a Research Professor of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at the Ecole Nationale d'Agriculture de Meknes (ENA-Meknes, Morocco) since 2016. He earned his BSc in Plant Protection from ENA-Meknes, and his MSc and PhD in Agronomy and Biological Sciences with a focus on Plant Pathology from Gembloux Agro-Bio-Tech, University of Liege (Belgium) in 2006. Dr. Lahlali previously worked as a Research Scientist at the University of Saskatchewan (Canadian Light Source Inc.) from 2013 to 2016 and held postdoctoral positions at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon Research Centre (2009-2013), the Plant Research Institute, University of Montreal (2007-2009), and Gembloux Agro Bio-Tech, University of Liege (2006-2007). His research interests include plant-microbe interactions, biological control of plant diseases, molecular plant pathology, and plant responses to biotic stresses. Dr. Lahlali has authored over 196 peer-reviewed papers and 15 book chapters, supervised over 35 Master's and 15 Doctoral students, and participated in numerous national and international projects. He is an editor for several journals and a reviewer for many others. At ENA-Meknes, he teaches courses in Plant Pathology, Phyto-epidemiology, and Phyto-mycology, among others. In 2023, Dr. Lahlali was recognized as the World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University.

Dr Haque is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Agricultural Science, Aligarh Muslim University, India. He has a PhD in Plant Pathology & Nematology, and over a decade of research and teaching experience in plant protection. He is a member of 6 scientific bodies/organizations, reviewer to 3 journals and recipient of Maulana Azad National Fellowship and Prof. M.J. Narsimhan Merit Award. His researches focuses on the management of plant parasitic nematodes, integrating basic and applied science.

Gerhard du Preez is an Associate Professor in Agricultural Sciences at the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa). He holds a PhD from the same institution, where he studied the impact of irrigation water quality on soil health using nematodes as bioindicators. He leads and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects exploring soil biodiversity, nutrient cycling, carbon dynamics, and the ecological impacts of diverse agricultural systems on soil health. He teaches undergraduate and postgraduate modules in agroecology, soil health, and sustainable agriculture, and plays an active role in developing research infrastructure and training platforms that promote climate-smart, ecologically sound farming practices.