The study of the major diseases and disorders occurring in the nursery and in the urban environment. The infection process. Simptomology and diseases diagnosis. Pathogen attack and host defence mechanisms. Physiological disorders. Nursery diseases. Foliage diseases. Vascular wilts. Wood decay. Root rots. Cankers. Control strategies.
Capretti P., Ragazzi A. (2009) – Elementi di Patologia Forestale. Patron Editore, Bologna
Moriondo F., Capretti A. and Ragazzi A. (2006) – Malattie delle piante in bosco, in vivaio e delle alberature. Patron Editore, Bologna.
Jones, R.K., Benson, D. M. – Diseases of woody ornamentals and trees in nurseries. APS Press, 2001
Specific papers and other material provided electronically (on Moodle platform) by the teacher.
Learning Objectives
To provide student with basic knowledge on the major diseases and disorders of ornamentals and nursery plants
Prerequisites
Students are expected to be familiar with Botany, Microbiology, Arboriculture and Urban Forestry
Teaching Methods
Frontal lessons; exercises; seminars; guided tours in parks, nurseries, gardens and urban green areas
Further information
Students are received every day by appointment: salvatore.moricca@unifi.it
DISPAA, Department of Agri-food Production and Environmental Sciences, Plant Pathology and Entomology Division - University of Florence
Piazzale delle Cascine 28, Firenze
Type of Assessment
Verification of:
- competence on the subject;
- knowledge of the basic principles of the discipline;
- accuracy and completeness in responses;
- proper use of technical-scientific language;
- ability to synthesize;
- abiility to make comceptual links among different topics
Course program
Introduction to plant pathology. Historical overview. Concepts of: disease; epidemics; endemic; pandemic. Causes of plant diseases: biotic diseases (damage by fungi, bacteria, viruses, viroids, phytoplasmas, protozoa) abiotic disorders (damage caused by adverse soil or environmental conditions; air pollution damage). Disease triangle. The inoculum (typeof inoculum; inoculum production and dispersal; inoculum survival). Pathogens’ attack strategies and plant defense mechanisms. The infection process (pre-penetration; penetration; colonization; host evasion). Pathogenesis. Symptoms. Damage caused by physical and mechanical causes: wounds. The diagnostic process (visual inspection, microscopic diagnosis). Koch's postulates. Parasitism. Saprophytism. Commensalism. Endophytism. Mutualism. Types of symbiosis (mutualistic, neutral, antagonistic). Plant disease epidemiology (incidence and severity of the disease; monocyclic and polycyclic diseases; epidemic rate; disease progress curves; epidemics forecasting). The most important and frequent diseases in the nursery (seedlings’ damping-off; other diseases of seedlings in the herbaceous stage; shoot infectious diseases). Plant disease management in the urban environment. The impact of environmental conditions on disease development in the nursery. Classification of diseases in relation to the plant organ affected: leaf diseases; root diseases; vascular diseases; canker diseases,; root rot, rusts. For each disease type, one or more pathogens – selected among the most damaging - are taken into account as model(s), illustrating their biological cycle. Phytosanitary hygiene and control measures. Agronomic, physical, chemical, biological, genetic and legislative control strategies. Peculiarities of the nursery activity and risk of spreading disease over the territory. The importance and procedures of phytosanitary inspection of import-export plant material. Quarantine regulations. Phytosanitary certification and phytosanitary plant passport. Integrated disease management.