Book excerpt: THE BALL GUIDE TO DISEASES OF ANNUALS & PERENNIALS is written for producers of annual & perennial ornamentals, commercial nurseries, landscapers, pest control operators, cooperative extension agents, educators, scientists who work with ornamentals, botanic & display gardens in the United States & Europe, master gardeners & garden club members. It is the first full/color book on diseases of annuals & perennials with an emphasis on problem identification for these crops. Color photos of disease problems allow growers, retailers & gardeners of annuals & perennials to identify crop problems so they can seek additional advice on how to solve or manage the problem. Key features of the BALL GUIDE TO DISEASES OF ANNUALS & PERENNIALS include: color photos covering -foliar diseases (botrytis, xanthomonas, rust, powdery mildew, etc.); root & stem diseases (rhizoctonia, phytophthora, pythium, canker, etc.); virus & mycoplasma diseases (aster yellows, nematodes, etc.); reference tables listing plants most susceptible to foliar diseases, root & stem diseases, virus & mycoplasma diseases, annuals & perennials by scientific & common names, non-chemical controls for diseases, grouped by disease type, symptoms of nutrient deficiency.