Fungi have come into demand as sources of biological control agents and of particular physiological active substances. Recent studies indicate that fungi can be the prime cause of sinusitis, asthma, and allergenic troubles. Some fungi can be useful however, and can be used to improve the overall quality of human life. With very few books available on the subject of soil and seed fungi, Tsuneo Watanabe’s book remains the only work that details information on techniques for isolating, culturing, and identifying soil and seed fungi.

Study on Soil and Seed Fungi.-- Fungi in Soil and Fungus Flora. -- Relationships between Soilborne Plant Pathogenic Fungi and
Other Soil Microorganisms.-- Research Problems on Soil Fungus Floras.-- Problems on Classification of Root-Inhabiting Fungi.-- Study of Soil Fungi in Relation to Seed Fungi.-- Materials and: Collection Sites and Samples.-- Principles of Isolation Method.-- Isolations and Cultures of Soilborne Fungi from Plants.-- Isolation of Fungi from Soil. --Direct Inoculation Method.-- Dilution (Plate) Method and Isolation Media .--Trapping (Bait) Method and the Substrates.--Preservation of Cultures.--Morphogenesis on Agar Cultures and Their Observations.--Identification of Fungi:Basal Knowledge for Identification.-- Necessity of Experimentation.-- Selection of Appropriate Binomials.-- Morphologies to be Observed for Identification.-- Morphologies to be Observed for Identification.-- Key to Classes of Soil Fungi.-- Key to Mastigomycetes, Kingdom of Chromista.--Key to Zygomycetes, Kingdom of Fungi.-- Key to Ascomycetes, Kingdom of Fungi.--Key to Basidiomycetes, Kingdom of Fungi.--Key to Deuteromycetes (Mitosporic Fungi), Kingdom of Fungi.--Pycnidium-Forming Fungi.-- Sporodochium-Forming Fungi.-- Synnema-Forming Fungi.-- Aleuriosporae.-- Arthrosporae.-- Blastosporae.--