Course Goals:
The primary goal is to study those interactions between higher plants, plant pathogens, and the environment which are important in the occurrence and development of plant disease. Emphasis is placed on the population dynamics and ecology of plant pathogens in the aerial and soil environments.
Entry Level:
The course is designed primarily for graduate students in plant pathology and related fields. Plant pathology 120 or an equivalent course is a prerequisite. Any exposure the student has had to microbiology, mycology, ecology, population dynamics, soils, and atmospheric sciences will be helpful. However, no formal background in these areas is required.
Course Format:
Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion are scheduled each week. Some of the discussion is prepared and led by students. Grades are based on one mid-term exam, a final exam and one paper. The paper is written on the epidemiology of a disease of the student's choosing. The paper takes the form of a research proposal and the goal of the proposed research is to gather all the information needed to model and/or forecast epidemics at a given location.
Subject Outline:
A. Epidemiology Of Plant Diseases Incited By Air-Borne Organisms. (24 Hours).
- Dynamics of plant disease epidemics.
- Physical parameters in crop and microbial ecology.
- Inoculum release, dispersal, and deposition.
- Modeling and forecasting epidemics.
- Genetics of plant disease resistance.
- Potentials for biological control.
B. Ecology Of Soil-Borne Plant Pathogens (12 Hours).
- Physical And Nutritional Factors In The Soil Ecosystem.
- Modes Of Interaction Between Organisms In The Soil.
- Ecological Succession And The Ecological Niche Of Some Plant Pathogens.
- Concept Of Inoculum Potential In Soil And Critical Events In Plant Infection.
- Modeling And Forecasting Root Diseases.
- Control Of Soil-Borne Plant Pathogens.