Course Description
Plant diseases influence human societies and their cultural development. Students will be introduced to the impacts plant diseases have had and continue to have on society, the environment, economics, politics, and food security. Students will be introduced to plant pathology and threats plant diseases pose to modern agriculture and society.
Athena Title
Plants Pathogens and People
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in PATH 2010E
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
On completion of this course, students will have gained a more thorough and intricate understanding of the historical, anthropological, and socio-economic impacts on human societies by plant disease epidemics and the microorganisms and conditions that cause them. Students will learn that plant disease epidemics in agricultural systems are heavily dependent on both environmental and socio-economic conditions and can be destructive to society and change cultures if left unchecked. They should gain an appreciation for the different classes of organisms that cause plant diseases, how they were discovered by humans, and how these differences contribute to the difficulties encountered when preventing or managing plant disease outbreaks. Students will be taught that while plant disease epidemics are unpredictable and sometimes unavoidable, the degree of economic loss and suffering (e.g., famines) associated with these natural disasters depends on the societal fabric and the appropriateness and timeliness of the relief response by national and global agencies. Finally, students should ultimately appreciate their responsibility as members of local and global communities and be encouraged to aid victims of natural disasters. More specific learning outcomes involve being able to gather information on plant disease outbreaks from electronic and print news media and use it to generate written and oral summaries for peer, non-specialist, and professional groups. This will be in the form of three written “Plant Diseases in the News” summary reports and one oral presentation. Additionally, students will be expected and taught to use web-based and print information to understand complex social and scientific issues. These objectives will be reinforced through role-playing, debates, and oral presentations, which are intended to engage students in critical thinking and appreciating opposing views. By the completion of this course, students should understand the significant impacts that plant diseases have had on human society, history, and culture. From the viewpoint of a policy maker at local, state, and national levels, students will learn about the continuous efforts made by agencies and producers to ensure safe and readily available plant products for human consumption. Students will learn about the critical factors (scientific, cultural, environmental, economic, political) that influence and are influenced by plant disease epidemics. Ultimately, students should understand the challenges and consequences of decisions to prevent and mitigate plant disease epidemics and propose potentially effective approaches for avoiding similar problems in the future.
Topical Outline
Topic 1. Importance of plants and the status of modern agriculture World food crisis Introduction to the biology of plant diseases Topic 2. Origin and history of Plant Pathology Topic 3. Ergot of rye - the link between ergotism and LSD The role of ergotism in the Salem witch trials Topic 4. Late blight of potato Ireland before 1845-politics, culture, society The Irish potato famine and the impact of human migration The role of the British in the famine Topic 5. Coffee rust - Why Britain became a nation of tea drinkers The role of Britain in the epidemic The cultural shift due to Britain translocating different populations to the island Exploring the cultural relevance of coffee Topic 6. Bacteria as plant pathogens The Fisher-Smith Controversy - the cultural ramifications of a scientific argument Biography of Erwin Frink Smith - Father of phytobacteriology Topic 7. Plant Quarantine Act of 1912 - preventing the introduction of plant pathogens; Chestnut blight - the impact during the depression Topic 8. Politics of a plant disease and its management Citrus Canker Citrus Greenings Topic 9. Bananas- The impact of plant disease in a developing country Topic 10. Chocolate - the culture around the world The impact of human trafficking and plant disease Topic 11. Southern corn leaf blight - the lessons of monocultures not learned A man-made epidemic and the impact on the future of GMO crops Topic 12. Genetically modified crops - gift or curse Exploring the societal impacts of not understanding GMO’s Exploring the worlds of pro- and anti-GMO Topic 13. Current disease threats Soybean rust, bacterial wilt, sudden oak death, Karnal bunt Topic 14. Agro-terrorism: How safe is our food supply The threat of plant pathogens as weapons Topic 15. Future challenges of plant pathology Genetically modified disease resistance Restriction of pesticide use
Syllabus