Bruce McDonald: Catalogue data in Autumn Semester 2021 |
| Name | Prof. Dr. Bruce McDonald |
| Field | Phytopathologie |
| Address | Institut für Integrative Biologie ETH Zürich, LFW B 16 Universitätstrasse 2 8092 Zürich SWITZERLAND |
| Telephone | +41 44 632 38 47 |
| Fax | +41 44 632 15 72 |
| bruce.mcdonald@usys.ethz.ch | |
| Department | Environmental Systems Science |
| Relationship | Full Professor |
| Number | Title | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| 551-0355-00L | Phytopathology  Number of participants limited to 12. The enrolment is done by the D-BIOL study administration. General safety regulations for all block courses: The COVID certificate is mandatory at ETH Zurich. Only students who have a Covid certificate, i.e. who have been vaccinated, have recovered or have been tested, are entitled to attend courses in attendance. -Whenever possible the distance rules have to be respected -All students have to wear masks throughout the course. Please keep reserve masks ready. Surgical masks (IIR) or medical grade masks (FFP2) without a valve are permitted. Community masks (fabric masks) are not allowed. -The installation and activation of the Swiss Covid-App is highly encouraged -Any additional rules for individual courses have to be respected -Students showing any COVID-19 symptoms are not allowed to enter ETH buildings and have to inform the course responsible. | 6 credits | 7P | M. Maurhofer Bringolf, B. McDonald | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Fundamentals (theoretical and practical) in phytopathology, eg. interaction between plants and plant-pathogenic microorganisms, morphology and lifecycles of plant-pathogenic fungi, evolution of plant-pathogenic fungi, biological control of plant diseases | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Fundamentals (theoretical and practical) in phytopathology, eg. interaction between plants and plant-pathogenic microorganisms, morphology and lifecycles of plant-pathogenic fungi, evolution of plant-pathogenic fungi, biological control of plant diseases Insight into ongoing research projects | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Practical courses: Experiments within ongoing phytopathological research projects Macro- and microscopic diagnostic of plant diseases Theoretical courses: Fundamentals of phytopathology, eg. interaction between plants and plant-pathogenic microorganisms, morphology and lifecycles of plant-pathogenic fungi, evolution of plant-pathogenic fungi, biological control of plant diseases Teaching language is english and german. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | will be distributed at the beginning of the course | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Competencies |
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| 751-4504-00L | Plant Pathology I | 2 credits | 2G | B. McDonald | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Plant Pathology I will focus on pathogen-plant interactions, epidemiology, disease assessment, and disease development in agroecosystems. Themes will include: 1) how pathogens attack plants and; 2) how plants defend themselves against pathogens; 3) factors driving the development of epidemics in agroecosystems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will understand: 1) how pathogens attack plants and; 2) how plants defend themselves against pathogens; 3) factors driving the development of epidemics in agroecosystems as a basis for implementing disease management strategies in agroecosystems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Course description: Plant Pathology I will focus on pathogen-plant interactions, epidemiology, disease assessment, and disease development in agroecosystems. Themes will include: 1) how pathogens attack plants and; 2) how plants defend themselves against pathogens; 3) factors driving the development of epidemics in agroecosystems. Topics under the first theme will include pathogen life cycles, disease cycles, and an overview of plant pathogenic nematodes, viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Topics under the second theme will include plant defense strategies, host range, passive and active defenses, and chemical and structural defenses. Topics under the third theme will include the disease triangle and cultural control strategies. Lecture Topics and Tentative Schedule Week 1 The nature of plant diseases, symbiosis, parasites, mutualism, biotrophs and necrotrophs, disease cycles and pathogen life cycles. Week 2 Nematode attack strategies and types of damage. Viral pathogens, classification, reproduction and transmission, attack strategies and types of damage. Examples TMV, BYDV. Bacterial pathogens and phytoplasmas, classification, reproduction and transmission. Week 3 Bacterial attack strategies and symptoms. Example bacterial diseases: fire blight, Agrobacterium crown gall, soft rots. Fungal and oomycete pathogens, classification, growth and reproduction, sexual and asexual spores, transmission. Week 4 Fungal and oomycete life cycles, disease cycles, infection processes, colonization, phytotoxins and mycotoxins. Attack strategies of fungal necrotrophs and biotrophs. Symptoms and signs of fungal infection. Example fungal diseases: potato late blight. Week 5 Example fungal diseases: wheat stem rust, grape powdery mildew, wheat septoria tritici blotch. Plant defense mechanisms, host range and non-host resistance. Passive structural and chemical defenses, preformed chemical defenses. Active structural defense, histological and cellular (papillae). Week 6 Active chemical defense, hypersensitive response, pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, phytoalexins and disease resistance. Pisatin and pisatin demethylase. Local and systemic acquired resistance (LAR, SAR), induced systemic resistance (ISR), signal molecules, defense activators (Bion). Pathogen effects on food quality. Positive and negative transformations. Week 7 Negative pathogen impacts on crop yield and quality. Pathogen effects on food safety. Mycotoxins in the food chain. Aflatoxin, patulin safety assessment and action thresholds. Epidemiology: historical epidemics. Week 8 Epidemiology: Disease pyramid, environmental effects on epidemic development, plant effects on development of epidemics, including resistance, physiology, density, uniformity. Week 9 Disease assessment: incidence and severity measures, keys, diagrams, scales, measurement errors. Correlations between incidence and severity. Molecular detection and diagnosis of pathogens. Host indexing, serology, monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, ELISA. Week 10 Molecular detection and diagnosis of pathogens: PCR, rDNA and loop-mediated isothermal amplification. Strategies for minimizing disease risks: calculating disease thresholds, disease forecasting systems. Week 11 Strategies for minimizing disease risks: lowering epidemic risk, ecological risk assessment, natural and synthetic pesticides. Disease control strategies: economic thresholds, overview of control strategies. Week 12 Physical control methods. Cultural control methods: avoidance, tillage practices, crop sanitation. Week 13 Cultural control methods: fertilizers, crop rotations. Week 14 Open lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Detailed lecture notes (~160 pages) will be available for purchase at the cost of reproduction at the start of the semester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||