Corso di Laurea Magistrale in Scienze viticole ed enologiche - SVE

Learning area: production and quality of grapes

PATHOLOGY

The aim is to provide information on:

1. grapevine pathogen and diseases, 

2 epidemiologiy of grapevine diseases

3. economic impact on production.

Laos, to know how to prevent its early event and spread applying suitable integrated pest management programs.

ENTOMOLOGY

1. a) knowledge on biology, ethology of grapevine feeder insects (indigenous and exotic), as well as on damages caused to grapevine
2. b) build-up expertise on insect control strategies with emphasis on environmental friendly methods, IPM and biological control
3. c) Knowledge on the epidemiology of grapevine diseases transmitted by insect vectors and on prevention and control methods.

At the end of the course the student will be able:

- to recognize and manage grapevine diseases, their causal agents and their pattern of spread in vineyards.

- to apply traditional and modern diagnostic techniques for identification of the pathogens of grapevine. Modern pesticide usage and knowledge of the main related problems occurring in vineyard.

- to evaluate pathogen risk infection, its management also applying infection predicting models

- to identify the most important species of insects, indigenous and exotic, with a high risk of introduction, which cause direct damage and transmit agents of diseases of economic interest in viticulture

- to evaluate the influence of the environment on development of the insect populations in the vineyard, on the epidemiology of the plant pathogens they transmit

- to set up appropriate containment strategies, with particular emphasis on techniques with a low environmental impact

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course the student will have theoretical and practical knowledge of:

- Impact of pest insects on grapevine production

- Role of vector insects in spreading grapevine pathogenic viruses and bacteria

- Grapevine insect pest control and prevention strategies, including insecticides and agronomical, mechanical, and biological tools, in order to obtain specific skills for designing and realizing IPM programs

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course the student will  be able to:

-design prevention and control programs for several pests of grapevine

- design prevention and control programs for grapevine diseases transmitted by insect vectors

- design rational plans for the application of insecticides and alternative control methods in order to maximize efficacy and minimize side effects, thus preventing damages to beneficial insects and avoiding the selection of insect and fungi strains showing insecticide /fungicide resistance

INDEPENDENT JUDGEMENT

At the end of the course the students will be able to evaluate and choose the best control programs against selected pest insects of grapevine

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The students will acquire a correct terminology on plant pathology, agricultural entomology and control methods. Moreover, by the analysis of papers and attending scientific seminars, they will develop the ability to analyse and understand scientific works

LEARNING SKILLS

At the end of the course the students will be able to evaluate and compare the different grapevine pests control options as well as to identify useful and reliable sources of scientific information

The course consists of lectures, seminars and laboratory activities.

Technical visits to Nurseries of Regional Facilities for grapevine health preservation (CE.PRE.MA.VI) and an educational trip to a wine-producing farm and a grapevine nursery in Piedmont will be carried out.

Lectures and seminars will be provided in class. Additionally, lectures of the plant pathology module will be recorded and delivered through the Moodle platform,whereas lectures of the entomology module will be offered in streaming at the following links:

 https://unito.webex.com/meet/elena.gonella (prof. Gonella)

https://unito.webex.com/meet/ivoercole.rigamonti (prof. Rigamonti)

For both lecture modalities, the teacher makes use of PowerPoint presentations that are available to students together with articles for critical readings.

There will be a discussion on the main arguments of every lecture.

The final exam is an oral exam with questions on the topics discussed and on the field and laboratory activities carried out during the training, covering both the plant pathology and entomology modules in the same interview. It will be conducted in class or on line by using the Webex platform, according to the applied measures related to Covid-19 emergency. In the online modality, students, after application through the SIA procedure, will be requested to connect to the following link:

 https://unito.webex.com/meet/elena.gonella

at the date and time of the exam call.

The exam aims to proof the capacity of the student to connect the information achieved and to verify the ability to manage the knowledge acquired during all the activities of the course

Visual recognition of the main symptomatology of grapevine diseases and of the main grapevine pest insects.

PATHOLOGY

The diseases of grapevine: a review of the main maladies of grapevine and in particular for those ones with epidemic pattern.

The sanitary selection of grapevine and its importance for the nursery industry.

The plant pathogen detection: the main innovations in serology and molecular biology for identification and characterization of grapevine pathogens.

Novel achievements for the containment and the management of the fungal diseases: the expert systems and their use for the disease management.

Novel achievements for the containment and the management of the diseases: new technologies and regulation protocols for the disease prevention and use of chemicals of lower impact for the environment.

Emergent pathogens and diseases of grapevine for Europe and other areas where grapevine is cultivated: quarantine regulation for grapevine material. 

ENTOMOLOGY

Concepts and principles of pest management, IPM, biological control. Insecticides, their mode of action, resistance and resistance management.

Leafhopper and planthopper vectors of grapevine phytoplasmas and their control/management, also on the base of phenological predictive models. Flavescence dorée and Bois Noir epidemiology.

Mealybugs and scale insects of grapevine: biology, direct damages, transmission of Grapevine viruses and control.

Phylloxera: biology and damages/control.

Vectors of Xylella fastidiosa to grapevine and introduction risks in Europe.

Non-vector grapevine Hemiptera.

Grapevine berry moths: biology, monitoring, control methods.

Mites: their characteristics, biology, direct damages and transmission of Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus.

New, invasive species in the vineyard (Metcalfa pruinosa, Halyomorpha halys, Drosophila suzukii, Popillia japonica)

Practicals: identification of the main grapevine insects, field trip and visit to a winery and a grapevine nursery

The recommended basic texts for the course are:

PATHOLOGY

Slides and presentations and scientific papers supplied during the course session

- Baozhong Meng,·GiovanniP. Martelli, Deborah A.Golino,·MarcFuchs  Editors (2017). Grapevine  Viruses: Molecular Biology, Diagnostics and Management. Springer

- Agrios GN. 2005. Plant Pathology. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Academic

ENTOMOLOGY

Note di Entomologia viticola. Andrea Lucchi. Pisa University Press

Scientific papers and materials (PowerPoint presentations) provided by the teachers will be loaded on the platform Moodle.

The course will be held in the ASTISS university campus.

Teaching activity may be varied according to the limitations imposed by the current health emergency. Nevertheless, the remote mode will be ensured throughout all the academic year.