208-401 Plant Pathology

202-103 Biology for Land and Food Resources, 208-208 Crop Protection or 207-331 Forest Entomology and Pathology.

On completion of this subject, students should:

• be familiar with the biology and taxonomy of the major biotic causes of disease;

• understand the processes of infection and pathogenesis;

• be aware of the factors leading to epidemic diseases;

• be capable of diagnosing common diseases of agricultural and horticultural crops; and

• be able to formulate a practicable approach to disease control in commercial species.

The content includes:

• taxonomy, identification and biology of the main groups of plant pathogens and abiotic causes of plant diseases;

• host parasite relationships, the nature of resistance to and tolerance of pathogenesis; means of transferring, including and modifying resistance in plants;

• mycotoxicoses in feed and fodder crops;

• aspects of aerobiology, ecology and variation of plant pathogens; and

• the processes leading to plant disease epidemics and their evaluation; the types and uses of fungicides, the bases of biological control of plant disease, insects and weeds and the management and control of plant diseases in general.

Three-hour examination (50%), a practical test (10%) and two assignments equivalent to 2500 words (each worth 20%).

• G N Agrios, Plant Pathology. 3rd ed., Academic Press, 1988.
• C J Alexopoulous and C W Mims, Introductory Mycology. Wiley, 1979.