65959 - Diseases Of Ornamental Plant And Their Management

Learning outcomes

At the end of the teaching,  the student will know the main arthropods of plants, both in the urban than in the rural landscape. He can diagnose the potential economic damages to urban plants, and is able to assess the application of decision-making processes, with particular reference to the plant protection. The student is also able to recognize the main beneficial insects of the urban and rural landscape, and he knows the methods and techniques for their conservation. He also is able to employ the protocols for the sampling of pest and beneficial fauna. The student has learned skills that will allow him to be able to apply the most recent techniques and laws in sustainable plant protection,  in view of the conservation  of biodiversity.

Course contents

The student who accesses this teaching has a good preparation in the fundamentals of chemistry, plant and animal biodiversity,  landscape ecology, and agricultural ecology. Such knowledge and skills are provided by the teachings delivered during the first and second year.

To acquire the ability to plan the techniques for insect control and management is a priority in the training of a graduate in agricultural disciplines, because integrated pest management will become a compulsory discipline from 2014 in the European community .

 

• Insects (1 CFU):  differences between insects and other arthropods, m orphology, anatomy and physiology, iInsects and the Environment (diapause, population dynamics, spread of the species),  insects and plants (pollinators, pests and relate damages, plant resistance), natural enemies (predators and parasitoids).
•  Insect pests of urban plants and rural landscape (1 CFU):  Corythucha ciliata. Cameraria ohridiella. Metcalfa pruinosa. Ceroplastes spp. Eucallipterus tiliae, Patchiella reaumuri,  Phylloxera spp., Cinara spp., Cedrobium spp..  Cossus cossus, Zeuzera pyrina, Thaumetopoea pityocampa, Tortrix viridana. Cydalima perspectalis, Cerambix cerdo, Saperda carcharias, Anoplophora chinensis. Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.  Dryocosmus kuriphilus,  o ther insects of green and landscape, including emerging pests. Arthropod pests of the ornamental plants e relate control techniques.
•  Principles of plant protection (0.5 CFU):  the concept of insect damage on urban plants, economic thresholds,  insect damage evaluation, insect of urban plants and social aspects,  Integrated Pest Management (insect sampling,  physical and mechanical control, biological control, mandatory measures, semiochemicals, chemical control, insecticide classification, non-target effects of insecticides, insecticide selectivity, endtherapy and esotherapy), biodiversity conservation,
•  Insects and the landscape with particular reference to rural landscape (0.5 CFU): landscape, ecological nets, ecological corridors, ecological compensation areas and biodiversity conservation, use of Geographic Information System (GIS) for insect mapping.

Readings/Bibliography

For the preparation of the course, the teacher will provide the PowerPoint lessons used during the teaching.

For further information, the following book is recommended:

• Pollini A., 2013 -  Entomologia applicata. Edagricole, Sole 24 ore.

Teaching methods

The teaching consists of theoretical lectures and practical activities.

• Lectures (18 hours) treat the program in a theoretical way.
• The practical activities (12 hours) treat aspects such as:  the identification of the insects by means of photographic material, audio-visual media and entomological boxes; diagnosis of pest damages with photographic material; critical analysis of plant protection plans, with particular reference to the Emilia Romagna region; visits to sites involved to green and landscape conservation.

Assessment methods

The course is part of the Integrated Course "Patologia ed entomologia" together with the teaching " Patologia delle piante ornamentali e fitoiatria." Therefore, the evaluation of the Course takes into account jointly the level of knowledge and skills acquired by the student in relation to the contents of all the teachings.

The evaluation of the student skill is based on the final examination, consisting of three questions on the syllabus of the course

Teaching tools

PC, projector

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Burgio