79430 - Advanced Plant Pathology And Entomology

Learning outcomes

The course will provide basic knowledge related to the interactions occurring between plants, pest and pathogens that will allow to understand how pathogens attack the plants and hijack their defences, how the plants perceive the pathogens and react to infection. This knowledge will provide tools to perform diseases diagnosis and to design innovative, sustainable and tailored control methods to prevent plant disease spreading or to reduce their impacts. Ability to understand the research process in Plant protection and particularly in insect pest control. Reduce pest insect populations adopting sustainable techniques and to avoid negative side effects of pesticides. Ability to recognize and identify beneficial arthropods. Plan a field crops management utilizing Ecological Compensation Area and know the concepts of conservation biological control.

Course contents

Advanced Plant Pathology (3 CFU)

A basic knowledge of General Plant Pathology, Plant–Microbe Interactions, and Disease Management is required.

The course provides students with an advanced understanding of the biological and molecular mechanisms underlying plant diseases and the latest approaches used to study, diagnose, and manage plant pathogens. Particular emphasis is placed on how recent advances in genomics, high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics, and computational biology are transforming plant pathology by enabling a deeper understanding of pathogen evolution, population biology, epidemiology, and plant–microbe interactions. Through lectures, case studies, seminars, and practical demonstrations, students will develop the knowledge and analytical skills needed to address emerging challenges in sustainable crop protection, disease surveillance, and plant health.

The course covers the following topics:

1. Course introduction: Emerging concepts in plant pathology and the impact of big data, bioinformatics, and computational biology on plant disease research and management. (6 hours)
2. Molecular mechanisms of plant–pathogen interactions: Pathogen effectors, plant innate immunity (PTI and ETI), and the evolutionary arms race between plants and their pathogens. (6 hours)
3. Pathogen genetics and genomics: Genomic plasticity and adaptation in plant pathogens, including genome compartmentalization, transposable elements, horizontal gene transfer, and accessory chromosomes. Application of comparative and population genomics to investigate pathogen diversity, evolution, and disease surveillance. Use of transcriptomics to characterize gene expression during infection and identify genes associated with pathogenicity, virulence, and host adaptation. (6 hours)
4. Modern approaches to plant disease diagnosis and surveillance: Conventional molecular diagnostics, high-throughput sequencing technologies, metabarcoding, metagenomics, and genomic epidemiology for pathogen detection, identification, characterization, and monitoring. (6 hours)
5. Seminars, case studies, and practical demonstrations: Critical discussion of recent advances in plant pathology, seminars delivered by invited experts, analysis of case studies, and practical demonstrations of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based workflows for plant pathogen diagnostics, epidemiological surveillance, and outbreak investigation. (6 hours)

 

Advanced Entomology (3 CFU)

Prerequisites: a basic knowledge of General and Applied Entomology is required

The course will deal with the following topics:

A) Sustainable control methods of insect pests (2 CFU = 12 hrs of front lectures and 8 hrs of complementary activities, namely laboratory activities, seminars held by experts, discussions on case studies with the students, technical visits). The contents are the following: 1) FAO definition of IPM; 2) Biological control with entomophagous insects: different categories (importation, augmentation, conservation) with case studies; 3) Biology of entomophagous insects (parasitoids and predators) and interactions with their insect hosts/prey); 4) Insect rearing for pest control: conventional rearing system of entomophagous insects; quality control in insect rearing; insect rearing for SIT; in vitro rearing of entomophagous insects; 5) Insect semiochemicals: different categories and use in the protection of hortucultural crops

B) Problems related with the introduction of alien insects in new areas; (1 CFU = 6 hrs of front lectures and 4 hrs of complementary activities, such as seminars and visit to laboratories). The contents will be the following: 1) native and non-native fauna definition; 2) Mechanism of insect spread : active and passive; 3) how exotic species may become established and why some of them become invasive. 4) Control methods. The importance of inter-governative organizations aimed at the development of common strategies for the protection of plants, i.e., IPPC (international Plant Protection Convention) and EPPO (European and Mediterrranean Plant Protection Organization) will be emphasized. 5) Discussion on case studies.

Readings/Bibliography

For "Advanced Entomology": slides available online. For further reading:
van Emden, H.F. – Handbook of Agricultural Entomology, Wiley-Blackwell;
Gullan, P.J., Cranston, P.S. – The Insects: An Outline of Entomology, Wiley-Blackwell, Chapter 16 (Pest Management) and Chapter 17 (Insects in a Changing World).

Teaching methods

"Advanced Entomology": Front lectures and seminars conducted by experts. Visit to laboratories with alive insects and to biofactories where insects are mass-produced.

 

Considering the type of activity and the teaching methods adopted, attendance of this training activity requires prior participation by all students in Modules 1 and 2 of the safety training for study environments, [https://elearning-sicurezza.unibo.it/ ], in e-learning mode.

Assessment methods

Advanced Plant Pathology: The final examination consists of a written quiz covering the main topics addressed during the course, followed by an oral examination including three questions on the course material. Each question is evaluated on a scale of 0–10 points.

 

Advanced Entomology: Final oral exam consisting of a presentation (5 minutes) on a topic of the student's choice ("flash talk"), related to the course content (10 points), and 2 questions on the course material (10 points each).

The exam will be assessed based on the candidates' knowledge of the program, their command of language, and their critical presentation of the topics covered in the flash talk and in the questions.

The final grade will be calculated as the average of the grades obtained in the two modules, "Advanced Plant Pathology" and "Advanced Entomology."

Teaching tools

Computer and video projector, insects reared in climate-controlled chambers. Equipment for the preparation of diets for insect rearing.

Office hours

See the website of Maria Luisa Dindo

See the website of Riccardo Baroncelli