- Docente: Marta Mari
- Credits: 6
- SSD: AGR/12
- Language: Italian
- Moduli: Gloria Innocenti (Modulo 1) Marta Mari (Modulo 2)
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Land and agro-forestry Sciences (cod. 8525)
Learning outcomes
The main objective of the course is to recognize and identify the major tree diseases of the forest and the urban environmental. The student will be enable to recognize and interpret disease signs and symptoms of forest and urban trees and to understand the biology of the main important tree pathogen in order to manage them appropriately.
Course contents
Prerequisites
The student must have good knowledge about fundamentals of biology, physics and chemistry. These prerequisites will be acquired from the basic courses during the first two years.
General Pathology (hours 16)
Introduction to plant pathology. Its language, its history and its economic importance. Definition of plant disease. Classification of the pathogens and their general characteristics. Principle of epidemiology, diagnosis and control. Symptoms and Signs . How the pathogen attacks the plant. How the plant reacts. The urban plant pathology e their characteristics (hours 16)
Special Pathology (hours 30)
Disease control: fungicides and biocontrol agents; resistance of plant to disease (hours 4)
Root disease: biology, epidemiology, symptoms and control. Root diseases: Heterobasidium sp. and Armillaria sp.; Ink disease: Phytophthora cambivora (hours 4)
Vascular diseases: biology, epidemiology, symptoms and control. Dutch elm disease: Ophiostoma ulmi and O. novo-ulmi history, biology, epidemiology, symptoms and control, breeding. Canker stain of plane: Ceratocistis fimbriata sp. platani: history, biology, epidemiology, symptoms and control (hours 4).
Canker of plants: general characteristics, difference between canker and tumor, symptoms and control. Chestnut blight or canker: Chryphonectria parasitica history, biology, epidemiology, symptoms and control, hypovirulent strains to control the disease. Canker of cypress : Seiridium cardinale, history, biology, epidemiology, symptoms and control (hours 4)
Wood decay fungi: biology, epidemiology and symptoms. Visual tree assesment (VTA) (hours 4)
Foliar diseases: general characteristics, biology, epidemiology, symptoms and control. Anthracnose: Guignardia aesculi (horsecestnut) and Apiognomonia veneta (horsecestnut). Tar spot fungus: Rhytisma acerinum. Marsonnina leaf spot: Marsonnina brunnea. Lophodermiun needle cast: Lophodermium sp. Phacidium sp. Brunchorstia pinea (hours 4)
Turf grass diseases: characteristics, biology, epidemiology, symptoms and control. Dollar spot: Sclerotinia homeocarpa. Microdochium nivale. Red thread: Laetisaria fuciformis. Brown patch: Rhizoctonia solani (hours 2)
Quarantine diseases: EPPO, List A1, List A2, Alert List. (hours 1)
Abiotic diseases: general characteristics, symptoms and control (hours 1)
The plants and air pollution: general characteristics, symptoms (hours 2)
Laboratories (hours 14)
Biology Lab (hours 8)
Technical visit 1 (hours 2)
Technical visit 2 (hours 4)
Readings/Bibliography
Moriondo F. (1999). Introduzione alla patologia forestale, UTET
Belli G. (2006). Elementi di Patologia Vegetale, Piccin Editore
Agrios G.N. (2005) Plant Pathology, Academic Press (USA)
Scientific papers
Teaching methods
The course is divided in two modules: Agro-forestry Entomology and Agro-forestry Plant Pathology. The lectures are the 70% of the total hours and the practice the remaining 30%. As part of the practice, there are guided tours in parks and urban gardens for inspection of plant diseases and laboratory exercises in plant pathology.Lectures are held in rooms equipped with a computer connected to the internet.
Assessment methods
The course is part of two Integrated Courses therefore, the evaluation of the course takes into account jointly the level of knowledge and skills acquired by the student in relation to both teachings.
The exam for this course will be a written examination, which ensures the acquisition of knowledge and skills expected. The exam consists of open and closed questions selected following the teaching units. The duration of the written examination is 120 minutes. The final grade is assigned based on the degree of preparation of the student.
Teaching tools
The course is composed for a 75% of lectures and the other 25% of lab exercises and technical excursions.
Office hours
See the website of Marta Mari
See the website of Gloria Innocenti