Online
Master's course series Plant Breeding - Plant Breeding for Resistance: Plant Pathology & Disease Epidemiology
Biotic stress factors are among the main limitations for producing high quality and high quantities of products of plant origin. Resistance breeding focuses on the use of genetic resources for improving plant defence against these stress factors. Do you want to learn about defence mechanisms and strategies that protect host plants against pests and pathogens, interactions of plants with attackers, inheritance of resistance genes, and durable effectiveness of resistance genes? Join this 2-course online programme!
Registration deadline: 30 September 2024
Exam date: 31 January 2025 & 13 November 2025
Please note that the dates for the academic year of 2024-2025 are yet to be confirmed, so they might still change.
Why follow this course series?
This course series will provide you with the knowledge and skills to understand the major characteristics of various resistance traits, discuss the various aspects of plant-pathogen interaction using the correct terminology, and develop breeding strategies for improved and durably effective resistance. You’ll learn how to choose the most appropriate screening and selection methods to develop cultivars with effective resistance to pathogens and pests. Additionally, you would gain an understanding of molecular and physiological principles of interactions between plants and attackers, defence mechanisms of plants, and different strategies and tools used by attackers to invade plants. This knowledge is essential for the work of breeders in developing new and improved plant varieties.
Is this course series for you?
This course series is suitable for professionals in the field of plant breeding, plant pathology, agricultural research, and horticulture. The course would be beneficial for researchers, scientists, and technicians who are involved in the study and management of plant diseases and pests. The programme specifically covers the major characteristics of various resistance traits, the various aspects of plant-pathogen interaction, and the development of breeding strategies for improved resistance. It also covers screening and selection methods, molecular and physiological principles of interactions between plants and attackers, defence mechanisms of plants, and strategies and tools used by attackers to invade plants. You’ll also work on case studies of plant disease epidemics and the population biology of plant diseases, including the effect of host genetics, crop diversity, and landscape diversity on the rate of spread and population increase of plant diseases and pests.
This comprehensive course series will provide you with the tools you need to succeed and advance in your career, especially in combination with other advanced Online Master's Courses Plant Breeding.
What you'll learn & practical information
The Online Master's course series Plant Breeding - Plant Breeding for
Resistance: Plant Pathology & Disease Epidemiology consists of two courses. The courses can be taken separately as well. If you are interested in this course series, you can find more information on what you will learn, the learning methods, literature and software used, time investment and prerequisite knowledge via the links to both courses below.
Software used in this course
The statistical software ‘R’ is used for several calculations.
Self-Paced Online Course Getting Started with R
Some experience with R to perform statistical analyses is recommended. If the latter is not the case, you can follow the Self-Paced Online Course Getting Started with R. For more information and registration, please check this document.
Examination
Participation in the remotely proctored exam is optional. If you decide not to participate in the exam, you do not qualify for a certificate and/or Micro-credential.
The date of examination for the Master Course Plant Pathology & Disease Epidemiology is 31-01-2025 (31 January 2025) and for the Master Course Breeding for Resistance is 13-11-2025 (13 November 2025). The duration of an exam is 3 hours. The resit will be scheduled in the week of 5 May
2025 (Plant Pathology & Disease Epidemiology) and in the week of 2 February 2026 (Breeding for Resistance).
Micro-Credentials and Edubadge
Upon successful completion, a digital Micro-credentials certificate (EduBadge) with 5 study credits (ECTS) is issued. The EduBadge certifies the learning outcomes of short-term learning experiences, marking the quality of a course. More information can be found here.
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More information & Registration
You can register for this course. Have any questions? Contact Wageningen Academy.