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van den Bosch, F., McRoberts, N., van den Berg, F., and Madden, L. V. 2008. The basic reproduction number of plant pathogens: Matrix approaches to complex dynamics. Phytopathology 98:239-249. The basic reproduction number, R 0 , is defined as the total number of infections arising from one newly infected individual introduced into a healthy (disease-free) host population. R 0 is widely used in ecology and animal and human epidemiology, but has received far less attention in the plant pathology literature. Although the calculation of R 0 in simple sys- tems is straightforward, the calculation in complex situations is challenging. A very generic framework exists in the mathematical and biomathematical literature, which is difficult to interpret and apply in specific cases. In this paper we describe a special case of this general framework involving the use of matrix population models. Leading by example, we explain the existing mathematical literature on this subject in such a way that plant pathologists can apply the method for a wide range of pathosystems.