Plants' immobile nature makes them vulnerable to a variety of biotic stresses. Pests and pathogens such as viruses, nematodes, bacteria, fungi, and herbivorous insects create biotic stressors in plants, which can significantly reduce and hinder crop productivity. The great Bengal famine of 1943 and the potato blight in Ireland (1845) are only a few examples of historical biotic stressors. Furthermore, climate change has the potential to alter the biotic stress paradigm. Changes in global temperature for example, can cause insect pests to spread across more territory, produce more generations per year, and increase the incidence of insect-transmitted plant diseases. These changes result in significant crop productivity losses, posing a danger to world food security. Plants have evolved to protect themselves from invading pests and pathogens by responding to these biotic stresses through a variety of morphological, biochemical, and molecular processes by detecting pathogen attacks and stop them before they can cause significant damage to the host tissues.

This book provides a complete and cohesive assessment of plant defence mechanisms in response to various biotic stresses. It also discusses the use of genetic engineering and molecular breeding to generate pathogen-resistant crops, as well as several case studies in the area. In addition, this work offers a path forward for dealing with impending issues. The study of host-pathogen interactions is concerned with the ongoing battle between plants and pathogens throughout their evolution which is generally complex. The appropriate updated information contained in this book, makes it a valuable source of knowledge for all those working in crop development as it presents a comprehensive picture of plant-pathogen interaction.