Pathogen survival, dispersal, infection, trophic strategy and propagation can be crucial steps in disease development and disease management. This course will focus on several aspects of classical plant pathology and that have become increasingly important as we progress towards biologically-based pest management. Assisted by modern techniques in biological research, our knowledge and understanding of pathogen biology and ecology have increased significantly over the last decade.
Key concepts will include survival of intercrop periods, inoculum production and dispersal in both soil and air. The students should learn the significance of soil heath and disease supressiveness, and how ontogenic resistance, crop phenology and climate affect the susceptibility of the host, and severity of epidemics, through the interplay between abiotic and biotic factors. The course should equip students for further directed and independent study of the key concepts, and to integrate biological and ecological concepts within the context of modern disease management programs.
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