Studying at the University of Verona
Here you can find information on the organisational aspects of the Programme, lecture timetables, learning activities and useful contact details for your time at the University, from enrolment to graduation.
Study Plan
This information is intended exclusively for students already enrolled in this course.If you are a new student interested in enrolling, you can find information about the course of study on the course page:
Laurea magistrale in Biotecnologie per le biorisorse e lo sviluppo ecosostenibile - Enrollment from 2025/2026The Study Plan includes all modules, teaching and learning activities that each student will need to undertake during their time at the University.
Please select your Study Plan based on your enrollment year.
1° Year
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1 module among the following1 module among the following1 module between the following1 module between the following1 module between the following2° Year activated in the A.Y. 2022/2023
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1 module among the following1 module among the following1 module between the following1 module between the following1 module between the following| Modules | Credits | TAF | SSD |
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Legend | Type of training activity (TTA)
TAF (Type of Educational Activity) All courses and activities are classified into different types of educational activities, indicated by a letter.
Sustainable phytopathogen management (2022/2023)
Teaching code
4S008299
Credits
6
Language
Italian
Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)
AGR/12 - PLANT PATHOLOGY
The teaching is organized as follows:
TEORIA
LABORATORIO
Learning objectives
Students will address the problem of pathogen control in plant production, with a view to a greater environmental sustainability, and will acquire specific knowledge regarding the strategies currently used to reduce the environmental impact of pesticides (biological control, integrated pest management). Moreover, deep knowledge will also be provided about the mechanisms governing the interactions between plants and pathogens, as well as their relationships with the ecosystem, as a prerequisite for the development of innovative strategies, based on the interference with microorganism pathogenicity and/or the strengthening of plant resistance and natural defense capabilities.
Prerequisites and basic notions
- basic knowledge in microbiology, plant physiology, plant biology
Program
The course will deal with the following themes:
1. Introduction to Plant Pathology
2. Sustainibility in agriculture
3. Basic concepts of epidemiology
4. Plant disease management (IPM, Integrated Pest Management)
5. Description of the main pathogen agents and infection processes
- phytopathogenic fungi and pseudo-fungi: detailed cycle of Plasmopara viticola, Erysiphe necator, Botrytis cinerea, Puccinia graminis.
- phytopathogenic bacteria: detailed cycle of Erwinia amylovora, Pseudomonas syringae e Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
- phytoplasms: basic knowledge and virulence factors.
6. Molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and virulence of phytopathogenic microorganisms:
- pathogenicity factors: description, function, regulation
- virulence factors: description, function, regulation
7. Plant-pathogen interaction:
-molecular bases of host specificity: non-host resistance and race-specific resistance
-plant-pathogen recognition: the elicitor-receptor model, the guard model, the decoy model
8. Plant resistance against diseases
-structure, function and evolution of resistance genes in plants
-the defense responses: morpho-structural mechanisms, antimicrobial compound synthesis, the hypersensitive cell death (HR)
- the systemic resistances: signals and molecular mechanisms governing the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and the induced systemic resistance (ISR).
6. Biotechnological applications for the development of new disease control strategies: biological control, resistant plants, inhibition of phytopathogen virulence
Reference texts
-Plant Pathology, Agrios
-Fondamenti di Patologia Vegetale, edizione 2017, Pàtron Editore
-Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants, Buchanan
-Elementi di virologia vegetale, Piccin
-Plant Pathology and Plant Diseases, CABI
-Patologia vegetale molecolare, Piccin
Additional teaching material
-Slides of the course (provided later by the end of the lecture)
-Scientific articles (references cited during the lectures)
Bibliography
Didactic methods
Lessons will be delivered exclusively in person without any recourse to emergency online teaching methods. It will not be provided in other ways except limited to students who, due to Covid, cannot access the University, upon presentation of the relative request on the appropriate form. The delivery methods relating to this case will be decided by the teacher and may include sending the registration, organizing a lesson in streaming, sending additional material or organizing a meeting in person or remotely.
Learning assessment procedures
The exam consists of a test articulated with:
1. Presentation of a scientific article in front of the other students of the course (15-20min). The article is chosen by students from a list proposed by the teacher or independently (approved by the teacher). The topic of the articles concerns topics of plant pathology addressed during the course.
2. Written exam with four open questions (2 hours). The purpose of the test is to ascertain the achievement of the training objectives described above.
Evaluation criteria
For the presentation of the scientific article, the evaluation criteria are the general understanding of the article, the deepening of the topic for a correct description of the context of the work presented (related bibliographic research), the property of the language used, the ability to discuss critically. The criteria for the evaluation of the written test are the degree of knowledge in general of the subject developed in the course of study, the property of language relating to the subject and reasoning capacity.
Criteria for the composition of the final grade
The final mark expressed out of thirty will be attributed considering one third for the presentation of the article and two thirds for the written test. Each student will receive a single final grade including the outcome of the two tests performed. The exam will be the same for attending and non-attending students.
Exam language
italiano
