i. Course Title: CS 203- PLANT PATHOLOGY
ii. Course aim:
To equip students with knowledge of plant/crop diseases and their management in agriculture
iii. Course expected learning outcome(s)
Upon successful completion of the course, students shall be able to:
a. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of plant diseases in agriculture
b. Relate host-pathogen and environmental relationships
c. Describe pathogens for field and horticultural crops and their management
d. Develop implementable plant disease management strategies for specific crops
e. Prepare appraisal reports of diseases occurrences in different crops
iv. Course status: Core
v. Credit rating: 10 Credits
vi. Total hours spent: 100 hours
Lectures 36hrs
Tutorial 04hrs
Assignments 08hrs
Independent Study 04hrs
Practical 48hrs
vii. Course content
The principles of plant pathology and plant diseases. The development and spread of plant diseases; host-pathogen and environmental relationships and disease physiology. Diagnosis and Koch’s postulates for proof of pathogenicity. Plant pathogens: the groups, classification, symptomatology, diseases of economic importance. Disease estimation and relationship to crop loss. Factors responsible for development of epidemics: epidemics and the influence of plant disease on man. Diseases of selected horticultural and field crops. Plant disease management strategies. National and international legislations on plant pathogens.
Practical skills
Collection and identification of plant disease specimens; preservation for herbarium; Classification of symptoms and signs; Demonstrate Koch’s postulates; Develop diagnostic procedures for common diseases and identification of their causal agents; Preparation of pure cultures of biotic disease agent and Field and laboratory-based diagnosis procedures
viii. Teaching and learning activities
The course will be taught using lectures, visual aids, seminars, group discussions and practicals
ix. Assessment methods
The course will be assessed by quizzes, assignments, seminar presentation reports, practical reports, practical tests, theory tests and end of semester University examination.
x. Reading list
Schumann GL and D’Arcy CJ. 2010. Essential Plant Pathology. 2nd Edition. APS Press, St Paul, Minnesota.
Agrios GN. 2005. Plant Pathology. 5th Edition. Elsevier Academic Press.
Trigiano RN, Windham MT and Windham AS. 2004. Plant Pathology concepts and laboratory exercise. CRCPress.
Shurtleff MC and Avere III CW. 1998. Glossary of Plant Pathological Terms. APS Press, St Paul, Minnesota.