Courses in Plant Pathology

*Syllabus may change from year to year; this is only an example.
INTRODUCTORY PLANT PATHOLOGY
PLPT/BIOS 369
Philosophy, Procedures and Understandings for Class 2006

1.  LEVEL: This is a junior level University course.
* The prerequisites for this course are College level Biology and/or Botany.
* A working knowledge of Biological and Botanical terms and concepts.
* As a junior level course, I anticipate that you will bring a junior level of understanding and preparation from all of your courses and experiences (life and academic) to our discussions.

2.  COURSE GOALS: This is an Introductory Plant Pathology course. Because it is an entry level course to a sub-discipline of biology and agriculture, among the goals of this course are an acquisition of facts and vocabulary. These goals may be accomplished by careful study of the text. Another goal is to acquire an understanding of the perspectives and problem solving processes used by Plant Pathologists. This goal will be pursued primarily in the classroom through the teaching method. It is obvious that daily preparation by the student is as integral to this class as preparation by the instructor.

3. TEACHING METHOD: This class will be taught primarily by the a modified QAED (Question, Answer, Exposition, Discussion) method. Each class will center around questions which you, the students, provide on your blue cards. While I will be prepared to provide expository and expansory materials (usually via PowerPoint slides); the class will be given the primary opportunity to answer and discuss questions. With this method all class members (faculty, TA's, and students) are equally involved in, and responsible for, each phase of learning.

5. TEXTBOOK:
* Plant Pathology, 5th edition by George Agrios
* Elsevier Academic Press, Burlington, MA , USA, 2005.
* This the latest revision of what has become, by default, the predominant Introductory Plant Pathology textbook used in the United States. In my opinion this edition is too advanced for an undergraduate class with our prerequisites; therefore, I will try to assist you to negotiate your way through the "essentials".
* PREPARATION:In accord with University philosophy, you should anticipate spending six (6) hours/week outside of class in study, preparation, and other activities related to this three (3) unit course.
* WEB STUDY PAGES: This course is supported by a rather extensive set of Web-Study Pages.
o These pages are provided to assist the student with pre-class preparation, in-class note taking, and post-class review.
o These Web Study Pages are not intended to replace the required textbook
o The student who attempts to take this class without benefit of the textbook will not receive the full benefit of the course.
* INTEGRATIVE STUDIES: This course fulfills part of the Integrative Studies curriculum required of all University of Nebraska students. As such your active class participation is both expected and required.
* ACADEMIC DISHONESTY will result in a course grade of ": F ": and notification of appropriate University Offices.
* FAIRNESS: A class of this type depends upon a high fairness quotient; therefore, please do not make requests that cannot be uniformly applied to the entire class.
* ACADEMICALLY DISADVANTAGED: If you know you are academically disadvantaged in this class, PLEASE, come see me EARLY in the course (during the first week is preferable).
o Students with various learning disabilities have been quite successful in this course when they have allowed me to work to their advantage.
o Unfortunately, some students, without learning disabilities, have been less than successful primarily because they were either not adequately prepared for the course or did not prepare for class, or both.
o In all cases, solutions are more easily found when sought early.
* MASTERY LEARNING: Student performance in this class is assessed by the concept of "Mastery Learning";
in this class that is interpreted to mean that a "C" grade indicates that the student is Competent in the facts and can use generally use them to recognize and address plant pathological problems.

Once the student has demonstrated factual competence, the demonstration of the ability to solve problems and synthesize logical answers to plant pathology related issues is the primary criterion for achieving the "A" and "B" grades.
* Interpreting Meaning of Letter Grades

Whole Letter Grades only, no +'s or –'s; however, I reserve the right to add a + to a grade to recognize academic accomplishment.
o A 90 – 100 = demonstrated a Mastery of Concepts and Facts and the ability to synthesize solutions to problems in a logical manner.
o B 78 – 89 = demonstrated a Mastery of Concepts and Facts and the ability to apply them to the solution of problems.
o C 66 – 77 = demonstrated a Competence in Concepts and Facts.
o D 60 - 65 = may be Familiar with Concepts and Facts but does not use them accurately and consistently.
o F 60 = has not demonstrated Familiarity with Concepts and Facts, any use or application is of a superficial nature.

6.  Plant Pathology 369 - Class Schedule 2006

Class - Date - Class Topic
Week One
1 Aug. 21 Expectation, Realities, Formats, Evaluation, Review Papers Explained
2 Aug. 23 Concepts of Health and Disease
3 Aug. 25 Koch's Postulates Terminology

Week Two
4 Aug. 28 Pathogenic Taxon; Viruses
5 Aug. 3   Nematodes
6 Sept. 1  Review Paper 1 Discussion

Week Three
Sept. 4     Academic Holiday
7 Sept. 6  Bacteria
8 Sept. 8  True Fungi: Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes

Week Four
9 Sept. 11  Fungal-like Organisms: Protists and Chromists
10 Sept. 13 Review Paper 2 Discussion
11 Sept. 15 Naming Terminology; Signs and Symptoms; Individual Plants and Populations

Week Five
12 Sept. 18  Disease Diagnosis - Gross Observation, Culture and Microscopic Examination, Molecular Methods
13 Sept. 20  Mid-Term 1
14 Sept. 22  Plant Disease Epidemiology

Week Six
15 Sept. 25 Plant Disease Epidemiology
16 Sept. 27 Parasites and Disease Development - Pre penetration Phenomena, Penetration
17 Sept. 29 Parasites and Disease Development - Reproduction, Overseasoning

Week Seven
18 Oct. 2 How Pathogens Attack Plants - Recognition of Host Surface, Enzymatic infection process
19 Oct. 4 How Pathogens Attack Plants - Toxins
20 Oct. 6 Review Paper 3 Discussion

Week Eight
21 Oct. 9    Plant Disease Epidemiology - Case Study Explanation
22 Oct. 11  How Pathogens Attack Plants - Growth Regulators
23 Oct.13   Pathogenesis - Specific Disease Examples

Week Nine
Oct. 16      Fall Break
24 Oct. 18 Review and Discussion
25 Oct. 20 Mid-Term 2 (Comprehensive)

Week Ten
26 Oct. 23  Pathogen Effects on Physiological Functions, Movement of Water
27 Oct. 25  Pathogen Effects on Physiological Functions
28 Oct. 27  Pathogen Effects on Physiological Functions - Transcription and Translation

Week Eleven
29 Oct. 30 Genetics and Plant Disease Pathogen Variability
30 Nov. 1  Genetics and Plant Disease Host Variability Variation in Nature
31 Nov. 3  How Plants Defend Themselves Against Pathogens - Pre-Existing or Non-Induced

Week Twelve
32 Nov. 6   How Plants Defend Themselves Against Pathogens Induced - Phytoalexins
33 Nov. 8   How Plants Defend Themselves Against Pathogens Induced - HRP and Apoptosis
34 Nov. 10 How Plants Defend Themselves Against Pathogens - Induced - Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR)

Week Thirteen
35 Nov. 13 Effect of Environment on Development of Disease
36 Nov. 15 Classical Plant Diseases You Should Know and Why You Should Know Them (Part 1)
37 Nov. 17 Classical Plant Diseases You Should Know and Why You Should Know Them (Part 2)

Week Fourteen
38 Nov. 20 Case Group Meetings
Nov. 22 Student Holiday
Nov. 24 Thanksgiving Vacation

Week Fifteen
39 Nov. 27 Strategies for Plant Health Management Chemical Approaches
40 Nov. 29 Strategies for Plant Health Management
41 Dec. 1   Mid-Term 3 (Comprehensive)

Week Sixteen
42 Dec. 4 Case Study Presentations
43 Dec. 4 Case Study Presentations
44 Dec.6  Case Study Presentations and Final Discussion

WEDNESDAY - 11 December 2006 FINAL 7:30-9:30 a.m.