Ascochyta blights consistently affect large areas of grain legume production (pea, lentil, chickpea and faba bean) in all countries where they are cultivated. These diseases are capable of causing large yield losses under conducive environmental conditions. This book considers the state of the art by taking a comparative approach of Ascochyta blight diseases of cool season food and feed legumes. Topics considered are pathogen diversity, legume genetics and breeding, and integrated disease management. Reprinted from European Journal of Plant Pathology, Volume 119, No. 1, 2007 - B. Tivoli is a scientist in plant disease epidemiology at INRA (French National Institute of Agronomical Research), Le Rheu, France and member of AEP (European Association of Grain Legumes) and SFP (French Plant Pathology Society). - F. J. Muehlbauer is a geneticist and breeder of grain legumes at USDA Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, Washington, USA, and a member of the Crop Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, and AEP. - A. Baranger is a scientist in genetics of legumes at INRA (French National Institute of Agronomical Research), Le Rheu, France. - B. M. Cooke is a Professor of Plant Pathology and the Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Plant Pathology at the School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Ireland.