ABSTRACT
Modern agriculture, based on growing one or a few crop cultivars over large areas, is an ecologically unbalanced system which invites disease epidemics. Prevention of such epidemics has traditionally been achieved through use of chemical fungicides. However, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about chemical pollution of the environment and pesticide residues on food, and farmers are more often being faced with pathogens resistant to available chemical fungicides. Furthermore, there is a need for efficient measures to combat soilborne disease and inoculum buildup. Thus both consumers and industry are anxious to find alternative methods of disease control.
