BIOTECHNOLOGICAL CONTROL IN AGRICULTURE
Academic year and teacher
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2016/2017
- Teacher
- STEFANO CIVOLANI
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Primo Semestre
- SSD
- AGR/11
Training objectives
- The aim of the course is to provide the current knowledge in the advances of plant protection in agriculture from pests or plant diseases. The course is divided into two parts. The first one is dedicated (24 hrs) to the description of herbivore insects (pests) and plant pathogens (fungi, bacteria, viruses and phytoplasmas). The second one (24 hrs) is dedicated on the current techniques used for plant protection and the advanced methods with special attention to those with biotechnological background. In both the first and second part they are treated particular topics of the duration of about 2 hours
Knowledge and understanding
The student:
- Know the correct terminology and the basics of the biology of pests and plant pathogens that affect agricultural crops;
- Know the correct terminology and the basics and the common techniques of plant protection
Applying knowledge and understanding
The student:
- Knows how to properly use the terminology and the basics of the biology of pests and plant pathogens;
- It is able to use the knowledge on common and experimental techniques of plant protection Prerequisites
- Although they are not required preparatory aspects, the student must have basic knowledge of zoology, botany, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and ecology.
Course programme
- The course consists of lectures, which cover the following topics:
Applied agricultural entomology (8 hrs): general characteristics of insects, morphology and internal anatomy (nervous and sensory system, digestive system, excretory system, secretory system), the post-embryonic development (moulting and metamorphosis), The ecology of insects (8 hrs) (intra-specific insect interaction, pests and natural enemies interaction, pests and host plant interaction, insects and symbiotic microorganisms interaction), the evolution of insects, specialist and generalist pests.
Applied plant pathology (8 hrs): concept of disease, symptomatology and diagnosis, pathogenesis (contamination, inoculation, incubation, evasion) plant and pathogen interaction and plants resistance, fungi and plant pathogenic diseases caused by fungi, bacteria and plant diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria, viruses and plant diseases caused by pathogenic viruses, phytoplasma and plant diseases caused by phytoplasma.
Plant protection. Conventional pest management, integrated pest management IPM (pests and diseases monitoring, the economic thresholds in integrated pest management) (4 hrs). Non chemical or biorational control: mechanical and agronomic methods, the natural control and the important role of biodiversity, biological control (classical biological control, augmentative or propagative biological control), microbiological pest control, (entomopathogenic viruses, fungi and bacteria), mycoparasitic fungi, yeasts and mycoparasitic bacteria (6 hrs). Biotechnological control (use of pheromones, micro-vibrations, toxins encoded by the parasitoid wasps and vectors for release in the field, management of symbiotic and symbiotic control, RNA interference) (6 hrs). Chemical control, pesticide (active ingredients and commercial formulations), insecticides and IRAC classification based on the mechanism of action (neurotoxic insecticides, insecticides that target growth and development, insecticides that target the cellular respiration, insecticides that have the midgut target), choice of the insecticides (selectivity towards beneficial insects, mode of penetration into the plant, insect penetration, integrated resistant management, phytotoxicity), fungicides (mode and mechanisms of action), pesticides and environmental and health risks (environmental, ecotoxicological and health risks to consumers and farmers, effects of acute and chronic exposure) (4 ore). Plants resistance to pests, breeding of plant resistance (vertical (monogenic) and horizontal (polygenic) resistance), assisted selection with molecular markers (MAS), transgenic plants for insect resistance (transgenic plants resistant to Bt toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis, transgenic plants expressing inhibitors of digestive enzymes of insects, transgenic plants expressing lectin), counter-resistance of pests to the transgenic plants, plants resistant to pathogenic viruses, fungi and bacteria (4 hrs). Didactic methods
- The course consists of theoretical lectures. The lectures are held weekly in the classroom with the help of power point presentations and material obtained from the field or the laboratory.
Learning assessment procedures
- The evaluation methods aim to assess the level of knowledge of the topics covered in the course and the reasoning ability of the student. The exam consists of an oral exam which includes four questions related to different topics of the course. The assessment is expressed in thirtieths (average of 4 questions) all responses to achieve sufficiency.
Reference texts
- Manuscript provided by the teacher
