Plant Protection

Plant Protection

1. Introduction. Integrated pest management (IPM). This chapter introduces the reader to the protecting cereal crops from different environmental concerns with integrated pest management strategies, and basic concepts of crop protection in agricultural systems.

2. Plant disease management. Host plant resistance (the use of disease-resistant plants). Cultural disease control in farming systems. Chemical disease management (fungal and bacterial diseases). Disease control by biological practices: the organism that suppresses the pest or pathogen is referred to as the biological control agent. Plant diseases quarantine. Developing an integrated disease management program.

3. Pest management. Cultural or agronomic pest management: Cultural control is the reduction of insect populations by using agricultural practices. Physical approaches for pest management. Chemical methods for pest control. Biological strategies for pest management. Developing an integrated pest management (IPM) in cropping systems.

4. Weed management. Scouting or monitoring weed communities in agricultural fields. Using mechanical strategies for sustainable weed control in cereal crops. Cultural or agronomic methods as a significant part of weed management systems. Using Post and- Pre-emergence active ingredients for weed suppression. Biological practices for weed control and integrated weed management for sustainable agriculture.

5. Pesticide application & technologies. Formulation of pesticides in different aspects. Pesticide application methods and fundamentals pesticide application: the optimum use of pesticides needs not only correct timing, but also efficient transfer of active ingredients to those areas within a crop where the pests, weeds or diseases are located. Specialized pesticide application technologies.

6. Pesticide resistance. Resistance, an inevitable result of evolution: populations are polymorphous and show genetic variability among individuals in the same population. Biochemical mechanism in resistance and detoxidation. How to manage and prevent resistance development. Environmental hazards by the using pesticides.

Each section contains:

• Video lecture
• Written materials
• Didactic materials
• Information resources
• Knowledge control
• Opinion exchange

How will taking this course help me in my everyday life? Well ... it is unlikely that this course will allow you to immediately get rich on the stock exchange or cook something exotic... Seriously, we have developed this course so that you can learn why plant protection knowledge is needed, how this knowledge can develop agricultural systems toward sustainable farming in your area. We really encounter plants every day, they should be respected (and then nature and we are protected eventually) or not respected (and this is a threat to sustainability).

About the author:

Zargar Meisam, Ph.D in Crop Protection (Weed Science)

I am currently working at the department of Agrobiotechnology, RUDN University of Russia as an Associate Professor of Crop Protection.

My main research interests include Field crop production & management practices (Crop management under environmental stress conditions). Sustainable crop production (especially Low-input farming, organic farming and Crop Protection.

I have a long-term interest in Pesticide resistance, where I have developed various practices for protecting this problematic phenomenon. I am also enable statistical analysis and mining for various patterns in data. I have a strong interest in teaching and over years have developed implemented various novel teaching techniques to support my students.