| Unit name | Plant Disease |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL20008 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2C (weeks 13 - 18) |
| Unit director | Dr. Andy Bailey |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
We rely on crop plants to provide the majority of our food, and with an increasing world population there is a need for plant productivity to be maintained or improved. Plant disease and food loss during storage are amongst the most serious threats to agricultural production and so must be controlled in order to protect our food supply. This unit will cover topics such as which pathogens cause particular diseases, how microbes can infect their hosts, how plants can naturally defend themselves against attack, and how plants can be protected from infection using approaches such as plant breeding, GM, pesticides and crop management. The unit will include information about how different aspects of pathogenicity and resistance are controlled at a genetic level and therefore attendance at BIOL20015 Molecular Genetics or an equivalent unit is very strongly recommended.
Aims:
On completion of the unit students will be familiar with the range of microbes that commonly cause disease in crop plants. They will have gained a basic understanding of the strategies that microbes use to establish and spread plant infections and of how the plant responds to attempted infection by both pathogens and non-pathogens. In addition they will have an understanding of how this knowledge can be applied to reducing the impact of such diseases in agriculturally important crops.
3 x 1 hour weekly lectures, 3 x 2 hour lab/practicals
Self-directed learning week. Students are expected to spend this time on directed reading and also preparation of the poster which is the basis for their continuous assessment mark.
Attendance at practicals is mandatory.
Pathogen poster (40%).
End of session exams (60%).
Further reading:
