Teaching plant pathology and disease and pest management for university students : some considerations after thirty years of experience

Abstract EN

Specific courses in Plant Protection are in place in most Agricultural Universities around the world.

They are generally given at the MS level, after the concepts of plant protection have been introduced to students in Plant Pathology and Agricultural Entomology courses offered at the BS level.

Plant protection, with very few exceptions, is thought worldwide in integrated courses, which combine the expertise of plant pathologists, entomologists and, less frequently, weed scientists.

Such fragmentation represents one of the problems encountered, mostly at the student level, because a split view of the different topics, that generally need a holistic approach, is often given.

Plant Protection is also the topic of MS courses and Ph.D.

programmers.

The changing role and importance of courses on plant protection in agricultural curricula, the need of such course also in food technology and agricultural biotechnology curricula are critically discussed.

The importance of a good balance between theory and practical activities as well as the need of life-long learning in such field is discussed, together with the possible innovations in teaching methodologies.