Study Programmes 2016-2017
VEGE0023-1  
Foundations of managing and controlling bio-agressors
Duration :
54h Th, 6h FT
Number of credits :
Master in agricultural bioengineering (120 ECTS)5
Lecturer :
Frédéric Francis, Eric Haubruge, Sébastien Massart, Bruno Schiffers
Coordinator :
Bruno Schiffers
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents :
This course gives students a synthetic view of the specificities of the biology of the bioagressors (pests, plant pathogens, weeds), as well as their interactions with the plants and the environment in connection with their epidemiology.
It also exposes the approach to the diagnosis.
It presents the various options (cultural, genetic, physical, biological or chemical) for the prevention, control or eradication of pests in the context and according to biological, regulatory and socio-economic constraints.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit :
At the end of this course, students will have demonstrated its ability to be used in seminars and restore during the final exam:
  • His knowledge of biology and / or his ability to identify the main groups of pests (pests, diseases and weeds)
  • Awareness of the different stages in an epidemiological cycle
  • His knowledge of conditions favoring the development of pests
  • The understanding of the damage threshold and economic threshold
  • Good knowledge of the main families and properties of pesticides and biocides, the registration process and their recommendation of use
It will in particular be able to:
  • To analyze the epidemic phases and to identify the key stages of an intervention
  • To analyze the biological, socio-economic and regulatory constraints on the development and choice of control methods
  • To identify the most effective options for preventing, controlling or eliminating pests
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
Basis in microbiology, plant physiology, entomology
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Oral presentation (ex-cathedra)
Training on plant pathogen identification
Illustration of plant pathogens and diagnostic
Collection of diseased plants
Research of information and documentation (farmer's interview, on internet and other sources)
Team work including one oral presentation and a poster presentation (in English): application of theoretical elements presented during lectures to case studies (data integration, synthesis) Preparation of an individual final evaluation
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
Face-to-face
Recommended or required readings :
Training material (texts, papers, notes and slides) available on line on Blackboard for each partim.
Assessment methods and criteria :
Evaluation:
Herbarium of diseased plants : 5%
Team work: 25% (see Organizational remarks for more details)
The evaluation the practical works will be based not only on presentations (content, quality of slides, communication & language skills) but also on answers to the collegial questions after each presentation.
Individual assessment of knowledge (oral exam with all professors): 70%
In the second session, only the oral exam may be represented for 70% of the final notation.
The notation for herbarium and other practical works (30% of the final notation for the course) will be saved as it was for the second session.
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
Team work on study cases for VEGE0023-1
  The details of the team work to be carried out will be given during the first lesson of the course
Quotation
The work corresponds to 25% of the final quotation of VEGE0023. Your ability to write, present and discuss in English will also be evaluated.
- First presentation: 30% of the quotation
- Poster presentation: 70 % of the quotation
Contacts :
Frédéric Francis (frederic.francis@ulg.ac.be)
Sebastien Massart (sebastien.massart@ulg.ac.be) Bruno Schiffers (bruno.schiffers@ulg.ac.be)