The program in plant protection strives to provide a holistic theoretical and practical approach to study and apply environmentally sound and sustainable integrated pest management strategies. It applies classical and modern biotechnology and molecular techniques to diagnose, study, and manage plant pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, and phytoplasmas, insect pests, weeds, and their respective host interactions.
Program Learning Outcomes:
1- Apply Research to Practice: demonstrate ability to identify and evaluate a pest infestation and assess its direct or indirect risks; ability to evaluate and compare the efficacy of different management practices using relevant research methodology and statistical analyses, and accordingly formulate a pest management strategy.
2- Advanced Core Knowledge in the Discipline: successfully complete courses in advanced principles of plant pathology including use of serological and molecular techniques for pest identification, taxonomy of arthropod pests, advanced knowledge on agricultural pathogens of significance, integrated pest management and plant pest interactions. Demonstrate efficiency in resolving case studies in the aforementioned areas and in planning and executing field and laboratory research.
3- Scholarly Communication Skills: able to efficiently present research subjects relating to plant pests, their taxonomy, life cycle, physiological and molecular host pathogen interaction, and how they correlate with development of appropriate ecologically sound pest management measures and strategies. Ability to present the state of research in these areas, as well as their relevance to own thesis or research topic.
4- Professionalism and Ethical Conduct: apply ethical considerations in the application of integrated pest management, and show proof of
WEFRAH centered rational, as pertaining to sustainability of land and livelihoods.
Core Courses for the MS Degree in Plant Protection
AGSC 301 Statistical Methods in Agriculture 2.3; 3 cr.
An investigation of the statistical techniques needed to design experiments and analyze and interpret agricultural research data. Prerequisites: STAT 210 or EDUC 227 and CMPS 209. Fall and spring.
AGSC 311 Advanced Principles and Methods in Plant Pathology 2.3; 3 cr.
Serological and molecular diagnostic techniques, nucleic acids hybridization, PCR, marker assisted selection, brief review of physiology of host-pathogen relationships, and current methods of research including cloning and transgenic plants. Prerequisite: AGSC 232 or consent of instructor.
AGSC 322 Plant Parasitic Fungi and Bacteria 2.3; 3cr.
Morphology, taxonomy, and identification of fungi and bacteria parasitic on plants. Prerequisite: AGSC 232. Alternate years.
AGSC 332 Plant-Pest Interactions 3.0; 3 cr.
Principles and factors involved in interactions between pests and their host plants; application of perspectives in chemical ecology to agricultural systems; effect of biotic and abiotic factors on the physiology, adaptation, and survival of pest populations in agroecosystems. Prerequisites: AGSC 221, AGSC 232, and AGSC 284.
AGSC 388 Integrated Pest Management 3.0; 3 cr.
Principles and concepts of integrated pest management; monitoring and forecasting of pest population, tactics, strategies, and implementations of IPM in the agricultural ecosystems; and environmental, economic, and social implications of IPM. Prerequisites: AGSC 221, AGSC 232, and
AGSC 284.
AGSC 395 Special Topics in Agricultural Science 1.0; 1 cr.
AGSC 396/396A Comprehensive Exam 0 cr.
AGSC 399 MS Thesis
Elective Courses for the MS Degree in Plant Protection
AGSC 300 Graduate Tutorial 1–3 cr.
Directed Study.
AGSC 307 Advanced Crop Production 3.0; 3 cr.
Theories and principles of plant growth, development, and responses to the environment, with an integrated approach to understanding crop productivity. Prerequisites: AGSC 220 and AGSC 231.
AGSC 319 Advanced Vegetable Production 3.0; 3 cr.
Physiological and genetic control of growth and management of vegetable plants and their products; effects of nutrition, irrigation, and other variables on crop performance and quality of produce; presentation and interpretation of recent research progress in vegetable production.
AGSC 323 Plant Virology 2.3; 3 cr.
Fundamental and practical aspects of plant virology including isolation, characterization, identification replication, and management of plant pathogenic viruses, including gene silencing and transgenic plants. Prerequisite: AGSC 232. Alternate years.