Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Book Review

2002; Wiley; Volume: 51; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1046/j.0032-0862.2002.00668_1.x

1365-3059

E. Boa,

Diseases and Pathogens of Eucalypts. P. J. Keane, G. A. Kile, F. D. Podger and B. N. Brown (eds ). 20 ¥ 26 cm, 565 pp. Collingwood, Australia : CSIRO Publishing [www.publish.csiro.au] , 2000 . Aus$150 . ISBN 0643 06523 7 (hardback) . What is the link between the highlands of Ethiopia, homegardens in Bangladesh, the rolling hills of Minas Gerais in Brazil – and my neighbour’s garden in suburban Surrey? The answer: eucalypts. Sturdy, versatile and fast-growing, eucalypts (and pines) are the major species which sustain plantation forestry around the world. Despite the huge importance of eucalypts there has, until now, been a scandalous absence of a general text which brings together a substantial and growing body of original research on eucalypt diseases. [There is an honourable exception, a forest pathology text written by my Brazilian colleague Xiku Ferreira: Ferreira FA (1989) Patologia Forestal – Principais Doencas Florestais No Brasil, Vicosa, Brazil: Sociedade de Investigacoes Florestais (in Portuguese), which deserves to be more widely known.] The information gap for eucalypt diseases is puzzling when we compare the much fuller literature on pine diseases. Eucalypts have serious diseases too, although I suspect more pathologists have heard of Heterobasidion annosum root rot than Cryphonectria cubensis canker. Until resistant clones were identified, this was the major constraint to establishing eucalypt plantations in Brazil. There is a simple reason for this gap: eucalypts are grown in countries where there have traditionally been fewer pathologists and poorer scientific facilities. The lesson is clear – if you are a plant disease and want to be known, infect a plant that grows in temperate climates. In recent years there has been a steady flow of publications from South Africa and Australia and rapid advances have been made in our knowledge of eucalypt diseases. I warmly welcome the present, long overdue book, and CSIRO’s help in publishing it. It is the brainchild of Dr Geoffrey Charles Mark, although he was sadly unable to see it through to completion. His colleagues and friends deserve a ‘well done cobber’ for completing this comprehensive and substantial book. The editors have brought together an impressive range of authors from around the world. The individual chapters are arranged in three main sections: biology and diversity of eucalypts; diseases, their causes and biology; and a final, most useful, section on disease management. I learnt for the first time that ‘the eucalypts’ now comprise Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora. Yes, these new names have been around for some time, but it is easy to miss these exciting changes when working some distance from the taxonomic front line. I am sure that others similarly unaware of changes will both furrow their brows and raise their eyes at new combinations that the pursuit of ‘natural’ classifications is forcing us to learn. At risk of sounding uncaring, I am at least grateful that only a few of the familiar species have changed their names. The first section of the book sets the scene, with chapters on importance, silviculture and mycorrhizas, among others. I was intrigued to learn from my erstwhile golfing companion Chris Beadle, writing about the physiology of eucalypts, that disease can have unexpected beneficial effects. He describes one case where the loss of productivity due to root disease was less than the extra growth that came from reduced intraspecific competition. This is a most useful book, but it is not a field manual. It excels as a general reference and source of information on all aspects of disease, but I cannot see foresters using it on a routine basis. There are helpful tables summarizing key features of diseases, and colour photographs to indicate symptoms, but these are not a dominant feature of a book which is rich in detailed information about diseases. The index is helpful in locating practical advice – and is a distinct improvement on the ever more frequently seen incomplete indexes which all too often appear to be an afterthought. I welcome the addition of much useful information on diseases caused by Phytophthora and Pythium. Australia has been to the fore in investigating phytophthora diseases associated with natural forests, a neglected topic despite today’s concern about depletion of forest resources and various tree declines, many of which remain undiagnosed. The final section takes a helpful look at management of eucalypt disease, in native and managed populations. This will be of considerable use to forest managers, although they will need to sift carefully through the relevant chapters to get at practical guidelines for managing diseases. (The short answer from a forest pathologist is: don’t get them in the first place.) The format and layout of the book is clear and uncluttered, and the text and photographs benefit from being printed on good quality paper. The 194 colour photographs are less easy to praise, for the simple reason that they are too small to appreciate, particularly the wider landscapes and the finer detail. The colours are faithful and sharply reproduced, but fewer and larger illustrations would be my preference. The most curious feature of the book is the organism lists, which appear after the final section on disease management. There are separate lists for birds and mammals, insects, nematodes and then ‘fungi and other microorganisms’. Each binomial is replete with authorities, followed by a page reference – except when the name is a synonym and there is no page number. The lists eschew the use of ‘synonym’ for ‘this is’, which I actually prefer. But I would also have preferred an explanation of how the lists were compiled and a guide to help me use them effectively. The final lists are of plant binomials and common names. I assume these are of Australian provenance: I rather liked the faintly rude Darwin woollybutt, and was curious about Shirley’s silver-leaved ironbark. This is a comprehensive and detailed account of eucalyptus diseases which brings together essential information about pathogens, abiotic causes of ill-health and other unexplained disease problems, such as the gloriously named Mal do Rio Dôcé. It is reasonably priced and attractively presented. It is an essential text for libraries, forestry companies and those actively working on eucalyptus diseases. I look forward to further publications from CSIRO which draw on the wealth of information presented in this book, addressing the need for practical guides to recognize symptoms and – dare I say it – one day bringing insects and diseases together in one publication. Diseases and Pathogens of Eucalypts. P. J. Keane, G. A. Kile, F. D. Podger and B. N. Brown (eds ). 20 ¥ 26 cm, 565 pp. Collingwood, Australia : CSIRO Publishing [www.publish.csiro.au] , 2000 . Aus$150 . ISBN 0643 06523 bsp;7 (hardback) .