792-241 Plant Protection

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

The objective of this subject is to extend participants' ability to:

• recognise disorders in crops;

• identify seedling stages of common weeds;

• identify varying life cycles of pests;

• identify appropriate control measures for crops and pastures;

• estimate the threshold at which control becomes economically viable;

• use appropriate sources of information to make decisions about the use of agricultural chemicals.

The content includes: Weeds and their control - the problems weeds can cause and how they can reproduce and spread. Describe weed control methods, limitations of each and how they may be integrated. Explain how controls are affected by weed and crop growth characteristics and patterns. Herbicides - actions, translocation, contact and sensitivity. Factors that affect herbicide selectivity and activity. Off target damage and herbicide resistance management. Selecting herbicides. Pests - Environmental factors that influence pest infestation. Control of pests. IPM. External features of insects and other arthropods. Classify adult insects into common orders. Identify appropriate pesticide types for given situations. Diseases - pathogenic and non-pathogenic disorders. Biology of pathogen - fungi, bacteria, nematodes and viruses. Host/pathogen/environment interaction and its significance. Disease control - methods of disease control. Data sources to select pesticides for a given plant pathogen problem.

Assessment

Two field reports of 200 words each (15% each); assignment of 500 words (20%); one hour practical test (20%); one hour examination (30%).