The earliest land-plants evolved around 450 million years ago from aquatic plants devoid of vascular systems. The diversification of flowering plants (angiosperms) during the Cretaceous period is associated with speciation in insects. Early insect herbivores were mandibulate, but the evolution of vascular plants led to the co-evolution of other forms of herbivory, such as leaf feeding, sap-sucking, leaf mining, tissue borer, gall forming and nectar-feeding. Plant defense against biotic stress is an adaptive evolution by plants to increase their fitness. Plants use a variety of strategies to defend against damage caused by herbivores. Plant defense mechanisms are either inbuilt or induced. Inbuilt mechanisms are always present within the plant, while induced defenses are produced or mobilized to the site where a plant is injured. Induced defense mechanisms include morphological, physiological changes and production of secondary metabolites.
Host plant resistance (HPR) is one of the eco-friendly methods of pest management. It protects the crop by making it less suitable or tolerant to the pest. While books on theoretical aspects of HPR are available, an exclusive book on the practical aspects is lacking. There is a wide gap between the theory and the experimental procedures required for conducting studies on plant resistance for the post graduate students and young researchers. A dire need for a book on practical aspects was strongly felt. Initially a practical manual was prepared which eventually evolved into the present book. We hope this book provides information on major aspects of screening crop germplasm, sampling techniques, genetic and biochemical basis of HPR, behavioural studies on pheromone and plant volatiles, and some of the recent approaches in HPR. Further, the references provide the scientific articles and books as additional information to readers and workers alike.
最早的陸生植物約在四億五千萬年前從缺乏維管系統的水生植物演化而來。開花植物（被子植物）在白堊紀期間的多樣化與昆蟲的物種形成有關。早期的昆蟲食草者是顎口型，但維管植物的演化導致了其他食草形式的共同演化，例如葉片取食、汁液吸食、葉片鑽掘、組織蛀蟲、瘤形成和花蜜取食。植物對生物壓力的防禦是植物為了提高其適應性而進行的適應性演化。植物使用多種策略來防禦食草者造成的損害。植物的防禦機制可以是內建的或誘導的。內建機制始終存在於植物內部，而誘導防禦則是在植物受傷的部位產生或動員的。誘導防禦機制包括形態學、生理學變化和次級代謝物的產生。
宿主植物抗性（HPR）是環保的害蟲管理方法之一。它通過使作物對害蟲變得不那麼適合或耐受來保護作物。雖然有關HPR理論方面的書籍可供參考，但缺乏專門針對實踐方面的書籍。對於研究植物抗性的研究生和年輕研究人員來說，理論與實驗程序之間存在著很大的差距。對於一本關於實踐方面的書籍的迫切需求被強烈感受到。最初準備了一本實用手冊，最終演變成現在的這本書。我們希望這本書提供有關篩選作物種質、取樣技術、HPR的遺傳和生化基礎、信息素和植物揮發物的行為研究，以及HPR的一些最新方法的主要方面的信息。此外，參考文獻提供了科學文章和書籍，作為讀者和工作者的額外信息。
Dr. A.K. Chakravarthy, Head and Principal Scientist, Division of Entomology and Nematology is an author of many books and over 300 scientific papers and 30 chapters in Entomology and Natural history. His interest includes Insects, birds, bats, rodents and mammals. With over three decades of experience of teaching, research and extension, Dr. Chakravarthy has been the investigator for over 35 research projects and has guided more than 25 students for post graduation. A Ph.D, from Punjab Agriculture University and Fellow from IARI, New Delhi, he is a member of several National and International scientific academia, an advisor, a panelist, a referee, reviewer, editor and he is associated with publication of several national and international journals worldwide. A field orientated, widely travelled biologist, he is actively working on novel approaches in Integrated Pest management, Host Plant Interaction, Vertebrate pest management, Biodiversity and environmental conservation issues. Recently he has published books titled - New Horizons in Insect Science: Towards Sustainable Pest Management, Economic and Ecological Significance of Arthropods in Diversified Ecosystems- Sustaining Regulatory Mechanisms and Arthropod Diversity and Conservation in the Tropics and sub-tropics by Springer.
Dr. V. Selvanarayanan, Professor of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University has 23 years of teaching experience. He was a gold medalist in post graduation and his doctoral research resulted in identification of new species of tomatoes resistant to insects. He was awarded with the Best Research Paper Award during 2006 and Distinguished Teacher Award during 2010 at Annamalai University. He has authored more than 80 research articles and four books. He is fellow of Plant Protection Association of India and life member in many professional societies. He has spearheaded many externally funded research projects. He had visited many countries and delivered invited lectures in scientific meetings. As additional responsibilities, he served as Deputy Controller of Examinations (2013 - 2015) and currently serving as Head, Department of Entomology at Annamalai University.
A.K. Chakravarthy 博士，昆蟲學與線蟲學部門的負責人及首席科學家，是多本書籍及超過 300 篇科學論文和 30 篇昆蟲學及自然歷史章節的作者。他的研究興趣包括昆蟲、鳥類、蝙蝠、齧齒類動物和哺乳動物。擁有超過三十年的教學、研究和推廣經驗，Chakravarthy 博士曾擔任超過 35 個研究項目的研究者，並指導超過 25 名研究生。他擁有旁遮普農業大學的博士學位，並且是新德里的印度農業研究所的研究員，還是多個國內外科學學術機構的成員，擔任顧問、專家小組成員、評審、審稿人和編輯，並參與多本國內外期刊的出版工作。作為一位以實地為導向、廣泛旅行的生物學家，他積極從事綜合害蟲管理、寄主植物互動、脊椎動物害蟲管理、生物多樣性及環境保護等新方法的研究。最近，他出版了幾本書籍，標題包括《昆蟲科學的新視野：邁向可持續的害蟲管理》、《多樣化生態系統中節肢動物的經濟與生態意義：維持調控機制》和《熱帶及亞熱帶的節肢動物多樣性與保護》，由 Springer 出版。
V. Selvanarayanan 教授，安納馬萊大學農業學院的昆蟲學教授，擁有 23 年的教學經驗。他在研究生階段獲得金牌，並且他的博士研究導致了新抗蟲番茄品種的識別。他在 2006 年獲得最佳研究論文獎，並在 2010 年獲得安納馬萊大學的傑出教師獎。他已發表超過 80 篇研究文章和四本書籍。他是印度植物保護協會的研究員，並且是多個專業社團的終身會員。他主導了許多外部資助的研究項目，並曾訪問多個國家，在科學會議上發表邀請演講。作為額外職責，他曾擔任考試副監考官（2013 - 2015），目前擔任安納馬萊大學昆蟲學系主任。
