PROFESSOR: Dr. Zamir K. Punja                                                  Office: B 9229 (Phone: 291-4471)

LABORATORY: Tuesday 13:30-17:20 SSB 8121

INTRODUCTION:

BISC 430 is the course for you if you have ever wondered why your favourite plant died, or why the plants in your garden do not grow? Or have you ever thought about the devastation that diseases of agricultural plants and forest trees could cause, and how this could impact your environment?

COURSE CONTENT:

The material covered in this lecture/laboratory course will provide the student with a thorough understanding of the biotic and abiotic factors associated with the development of diseases in plants, the underlying mechanisms by which plants defend themselves against disease, and the various principles and strategies for disease control. Several examples of important agricultural and forest diseases will be used to illustrate how the influences of environment, crop production methods, and humans affect disease development and spread.

During the course, diseases caused by the following biotic/abiotic factors will be covered: fungi, bacteria, viruses, viroids, mycoplasmas, nematodes, parasitic higher plants, and weather extremes and environmental pollution.

The strategies used to reduce the impact of diseases on plants, including breeding of resistant cultivars, utilization of techniques in biotechnology and molecular biology, and biological and cultural controls will be discussed, using appropriate examples.

In the laboratory, students will be exposed to the techniques for identifying pathogens and for diagnosing diseases, techniques for isolation and inoculation of pathogens, and methods for reducing the impact of disease on plants. Selected diseases of importance in British Columbia and throughout the world will be used to illustrate various principles.

PREREQUISITES:

Students should have a general understanding and knowledge of the principles and techniques used in microbiology, plant physiology, botany, mycology and meteorology.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

The course text will be Agrios, G.N., Plant Pathology, Third Edition, 1988. Additional references and reading materials will be provided during the course. Students will be given handouts covering various aspects of course materials to supplement lecture materials and the texts.

REQUIREMENTS:

Students may be required to do additional reading on their own to supplement the materials covered in the lectures and laboratory. Laboratory write-ups will not be required. However, material covered in the laboratory sessions will be subject to a laboratory exam at the end of the semester.

A written independent study report is required in this course, to be submitted at the end of the semester. This report will focus on a specific disease on a given host, to be selected by the student. Detailed information on the preparation of this report will be provided.

GRADING:

The following is a breakdown of the grading system for BIOSCIENCE 430:

Mid-term exam (lecture material only)             30%
Final exam (lecture and lab material)              35%
Independent study report (term paper)             25%
Laboratory exam (end of semester)               10%
                                          100%

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