Plant Disease Diagnosis and Mycology

Academic Year 2015/2016 - 3° Year - Curriculum DIFESA DELLE PIANTE COLTIVATE

Detailed Course Content

• MYCOLOGY IN PLANT PATHOLOGY

  Topics	Text References
  1. The diseased plant: the concept of disease in plant, types of plant diseases, pathological morphology, symptomatology, pathology, physiological and functional alterations; assessing the severity and damage of the disease: the fungal inoculum quantification, quantification of symptoms;	Lectures Text 2: chap 2
  *2. The fungal diseases: General characters of fungi, vegetative structures and organization, ifa fungal, nutrition, environmental influence on fungal growth, germination and dispersal of spores, fungi reproduction: sexual and asexual spores; symptomatology expression;	Lectures Text 1: chap 5
  *3. The classification of phytopathogenic fungi: taxonomy and classification, general characteristics, nomenclature, fungal structures, identification	Lectures Text 3 chap 11; Text1 chap 5; Text 2 chap 4;
  *4. Parasitism in phytopathogenic fungi: the relationship between organisms, ecological relationships, symbiotic relationships: mutualism, commensalism and patosismo; trophic relationships in parasitism, parasitic specialization	Lectures Text 2: chap 4
  *5. Life cycle of phytopathogenic fungi: epidemiology and factors that influence the development of epidemics, different forms of epidemic and consequent defense strategies	Lectures Text 1: chap 5; Text 3 chap 11
  *6. Attack modes of phytopathogenic fungi: the infection process: initial contact, penetration mechanisms, colonization mechanisms (biotrophic and necrotrophic colonization), evasion	Lectures Text 2: chap 6
  *7. Toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins	Lectures Text 1: chap 13
  *8. Quarantine phytopathogenic fungi	Lectures reported web sites
  *9. Fungi used in biological control of plant diseases	Lectures
  *10. Diagnostic methods in phytopathological mycology: Koch's postulates, traditional diagnosis; optical and electronic microscopy, use of indicator plants, isolation in cultural media, serological diagnosis, molecular diagnosis	Lectures Text 1 chap 6
  *11. Control of fungal diseases of plant: control means in laboratory and in field	Lectures Text 2 chap 9
  *12. Web sites of mycological interest	Reported and on lectures
  13. Kingdom Protozoa: Diseases caused by Plasmodiophoromycota: general characters	Lectures Text 2 Spec. chap 4; Text 3 chap 11
  *14. Kingdom Chromista: Diseases caused by Oomycota: general characters and recognition. Downy mildew, Plasmopara viticola, Phytophthora infestans, P. citrophthora and P. nicotianae and other species fitopatogene, Pythium spp., Bremia spp., Peronospora spp. and Pseudoperonospora spp.	Lectures Text 2 Spec. chap 4; Text 3 chap 11
  15. Kingdom Fungi: Diseases caused by Chytridiomycota: general characters and recognition.	Lectures Text 2 spec. cap 4; Text 3 chap 11
  16. Kingdom Fungi: Diseases caused by Zygomycota: general characters and recognition: Rhyzopus stolonifer	Lectures Text 2 Spec. chap 4; Text 3 chap 11
  *17. Kingdom Fungi: Diseases caused by Ascomycota: general characters and recognition: Taphrina deformans, Venturia inaequalis, Glomerella cingulata (Colletotrichum), Penicillium spp., Erysiphe necator, Leveillula taurica, Sphaeroteca pannosa, Blumeria graminis, Claviceps purpurea, Chryphonectria parasitica, Botrytis cinerea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Monilinia fructigena, Monilinia laxa, Monilinia fructicola, Monosporascus cannonballus, Mycosphaerella spp.	Lectures Text 2 Spec. chap 4; Text 3 chap 11
  *18. Kingdom Fungi: Diseases caused by Basidiomycota: general characters and recognition: Armillaria mellea, Ustilago maydis, Puccinia spp, Sclerotium rolfsii, Rhizoctonia solani	Lectures Text 2 Spec. chap 4; Text 3 chap 11
  *19 Kingdom Fungi: mitosporic fungi - Diseases caused by Deuteromycota: general and recognition: Phoma tracheiphila, Spilocea oleagina, Fusicladium (Spilocea) eryobotriae, Verticillium dahliae, F. oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici, Alternaria spp.	Lectures Text 2 Spec. chap 4; Text 3 chap 11
  20. Laboratory exercises: Isolation in pure culture of fungal pathogens from infected plant tissues and soil; identification of the most important phytopathogenic fungi; obtaining fungal monoconidial cultures
  21. Laboratory exercises: determination of microbial density into soil; concentration determination of a conidial suspension; observation of reproductive structures under micro- and stereo-microscope
  22. Laboratory exercises: use of mating types for diagnostic purposes; preparatio and stages of liofilization of fungi; trials for evaluation of fungicide efficacy in vitro against targeted phytopatogenicfungi.

Textbook Information

• MYCOLOGY IN PLANT PATHOLOGY

  1. Belli G., Elementi di Patologia Vegetale. Editore Piccin, Padova.

  2. Matta A. Fondamenti di Patologia Vegetale. Patron Editore.

  3. Agrios G.N. Plant Patholgy (5th edition). Academic Press, New York

  4. Teaching material and lectures supplied by the professor during the course

  Recommended sites: www.apsnet.org; https://www.eppo.int/; http://fitogest.imagelinenetwork.com/; http://www.frac.info/