Bernadette Dubos takes a closer look at the main fungal diseases of grapevines to repond to one of the crucial needs of all winegrowers: a quick and efficient method for identifying a disease in order to prevent it from spreading.

The presentation is simple and practical, each chapter dealing with a specific disease - powdery mildew, downy mildew, grey-rot, excoriose, black rot; and others - and constructed according to the same repeated plan:

- recognizing symptoms and identifying the disease.

- description of noxiousness

- identification of fungus involved

- definition of the fungus biological cycle (epidemiology) so as to pinpoint its vulnerable points

- devising and implementing a strategy to effectively eradicate the pathogen

This book is of great educational value: with a few key terms, principles and drawings, it sheds new light on and opens the reader's mind to the world and classification of parasitic fungi ; the abundant photographic color plates and diagrams help to visualize the characteristics of each disease.

This comprehensive handbook, covering all aspects of fungal diseases, from identification to treatment implementation, should be the indispensable bible not only of all winegrowers and vineyard managers but also of œnologists, teachers and students.