This volume investigates the complex biological, ecological, and economic interactions between pathogens and plant life, seeking to explain how diseases shape natural environments and agricultural productivity. The authors, David J. E. Ingram and Noel Robertson, utilize their extensive academic backgrounds in plant pathology to synthesize decades of research into a comprehensive overview of the field. They present a framework that balances the fundamental science of infection mechanisms with the practical challenges of disease management in both wild and cultivated plant populations.

As part of the long-running Collins New Naturalist Library, this work is regarded as a rigorous and authoritative reference for students and professionals in the botanical sciences. The text provides a dense, scholarly exploration of its subject matter, maintaining the high academic standards expected of the series.