Plant Protection

Total Hours in Course56

Number of hours for lectures28

Number of hours for seminars and practical classes0

Number of hours for laboratory classes28

Independent study hours79

Date of course confirmation28.11.2023

Responsible UnitInstitute of Soil and Plant Science

Course developers

prof.

Gunita Bimšteine

Dr. agr.

lect.

Jānis Kaņeps

Mg. agr.

Prior knowledge

LauZB003, Agricultural Entomology and Plant Pathology

Replaced course

LauZ3168 [GLAU3168] Crop Protection I

Course abstract

The students are acquainted with the selection of plant protection products and application methods for crop protection which based on the physical, chemical and toxicological properties and economical indices of plant protection products. Knowledge of mode of action of pesticides on pests and elements of environment, resistance of pests and pathogens against to pesticides are the foundations of crop protection as integrated science.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Knowledge of the classification of plant protection products registered in Latvia, plant protection product modes of action, toxicity, application technologies, environmental impact and the risk of resistance.
Skills to assess the situation in specific farms in relation to the applied plant protection system. Competently be able to choose a rational system of using plant protection products and assess compliance with the plant protection law and regulatory documents.

Course Content(Calendar)

Full time
Lectures 28
1. Harmful organism damage impact on loses. Plant protection system in Latvia. Pesticide use regulation. Plant protection law. Used methods in plant protection. (2h)
2. Work safety in plant protection. Introduction with individual safety measures/devices (2h).
3. Classification of the pesticides in order to their: chemical composition, harmful organism they control, penetration mechanism into organism, effect characteristics and mode of action (2h).
4. Pesticide application methods: Plant spraying. Sprinkling. Seat treatment and seed treatment types. Dry, wet and liquid seed treatment. Seed pelleting. Closed space fumigation. Soil treatment with pesticides. Evaluation of pesticide application methods (2h).
5. Pesticide preparative forms: wettable powders, emulsion concentrate, granules, dispersible granules, suspension concentrates, emulsion concentrates, water solutions etc. Pesticide additives: Diluents. Emulsifiers and stabilizers. Surfactants. Additives which improve pesticide physicochemical properties (2h)
6. Agronomic toxicology. Toxicology science and its main focus for investigation. Concept of poisoning and poisons. Pesticide toxicity. Poison dose as a measure of toxicity. Threshold dose, lethal dose. Effect of poisonous substances depending on their chemical composition and structure. Selectivity of pesticide toxicity. Concept of selectivity. Selectivity coefficient. Factors determining selectivity (1h).
7. Pesticide toxicity. Pesticide classification according to their acute toxicity. Pesticide volatility. Cumulative ability and cumulative coefficient. Cancerogenity. Embryotoxicity. Mutagenicity. Teratogenicity. Allergic qualities. Sensibility (2h).
8. Harmful organism pesticide resistance. Natural and acquired resistance. Control of harmful organism resistance. Importance of regular plant protection product change (1h).
9. Impact of pesticides in the environment. Circulation of the pesticides in the environment. Pesticide preservation in the air, water and soil. Pesticide movement and decomposition in the soil. Role of soil microorganisms in the pesticide decomposition process (2h).
10. State Plant Protection Service, its structure, tasks and main lines of action. Monitoring of plant protection products. Conditions for the registration of plant protection products (2h).
11. Plant quarantine and plant health standards. Quarantine organisms in Latvia. Plant passports and their need for import, movement and distribution of plants (2h).
12. Machinery used for plant protection product application – sprayers and sprinklers and their variations. Sprayer description and calibration (2h).
13. Pesticides for pest control: insecticides, insectoacaricides, acaricides and their classification. Systemic plant intoxicating and contact - intestine insecticides. Biologically active substances for pest control and monitoring (2h).
14. Fungicides. Fungicide classification. Fungicide selectivity. Economical and biological argumentation for fungicide use. Contact – preventative effect fungicides. Contact- preventative and curative effect fungicides. Systemic fungicides. Fungicides used as seed treatment (2h).
15. Herbicides. Herbicide classification. Contact and systemic herbicides. Peculiarities of herbicide selectivity. Herbicide mode of action, herbicide application methods and deadlines. Determination of herbicide dose. Work solution volumes (2h).

Laboratory works - 28
1. Work safety in plant protection. Introduction with individual safety measures/devices (2h).
2. Bordeaux mixture. Surface tension (2h).
3. Pesticide safety data sheets and information they contain (2h).
4. Economic efficiency of fungicide using (2h).
5. Pesticide dose calculation (2h).
6. Pesticide active substance calculation (2h).
7. Spray mixture calculations (4h).
8. Workshop - recognition of weeds, pests and diseases of agricultural crops (2h).
9. Workshop - agricultural crop weed, pest and disease control strategies (2h).
Report presentation (8h).

Part time
Lectures-14
1. Plant protection system in Latvia. Pesticide use regulation. Plant protection law. Used methods in plant protection. Work safety in plant protection. (2h).
2. Classification of the pesticides in order to their: chemical composition, harmful organism they control, penetration mechanism into organism, effect characteristics and mode of action. Pesticide application methods. Pesticide preparative forms. Additives which improve pesticide physicochemical properties. Toxicology science and its main focus for investigation. Pesticide toxicity. Poison dose as a measure of toxicity. Threshold dose, lethal dose. Effect of poisonous substances depending on their chemical composition and structure. Selectivity of pesticide toxicity. Concept of selectivity. Selectivity coefficient. Factors determining selectivity (2h).
3. Pesticide toxicity. Pesticide classification according to their acute toxicity. Pesticide volatility. Cumulative ability and cumulative coefficient. Cancerogenity. Embryotoxicity. Mutagenicity. Teratogenicity. Allergic qualities. Sensibility. Impact of pesticides in the environment. (2h).
4. State Plant Protection Service, its structure, tasks and main lines of action. Monitoring of plant protection products. Conditions for the registration of plant protection products. Plant quarantine and plant health standards. Quarantine organisms in Latvia. Machinery used for plant protection product application – sprayers and sprinklers and their variations. (2h).
5. Pesticides for pest control: insecticides, insectoacaricides, acaricides and their classification. Systemic plant intoxicating and contact - intestine insecticides. Biologically active substances for pest control and monitoring (2h).
6. Fungicides. Fungicide classification. Fungicide selectivity. Economical and biological argumentation for fungicide use. Contact – preventative effect fungicides. Contact- preventative and curative effect fungicides. Systemic fungicides. Fungicides used as seed treatment (2h).
7. Herbicides. Herbicide classification. Contact and systemic herbicides. Peculiarities of herbicide selectivity. Herbicide mode of action, herbicide application methods and deadlines. Determination of herbicide dose. Work solution volumes (2h).

Laboratory works - 14
1. Work safety in plant protection. Introduction with individual safety measures/devices (2h).
2. Pesticide safety data sheets and information they contain (2h).
3. Pesticide dose calculation (2h).
4. Pesticide active substance calculation (2h).
5. Spray mixture calculations (2h).

6. Report presentation (4h).

Requirements for awarding credit points

Written exam, which can be passed after finishing all laboratory works, getting passing grades in four tests (1. –test about work safety in plant protection; 2.- general questions about plant protection (topics 1-12); 3. - plant protection (topics 13.-15.) 4. - exercises about using plant protection products) and successful written report defence.
If in all tests and written report defence all grades are 7 or higher, there is a possibility to get accumulative grade for exam.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Written report about plant protection system management using plant protection products and harmful organism description for random crop.
Independent literature and regulatory document studies, in preparation for tests. If the report is not accepted, another crop must be chosen.

The practical work can be submitted twice.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

During the semester, after learning certain parts, students take written tests. Work in a group and in a seminar – the most important diseases, pests, weeds of the most widely grown crops in Latvia and the justification of the selected plant protection products and application scheme. Independent work – plant protection system for the control of described pests of a randomly selected crop. After completing the study course, students take an exam.
1. Laboratory work grading – done/ not done.
2. Test grade is depending on scored points per test (20 questions from which 16 needs to be correct).
3. Exercises about using plant protection products – together 10 questions from which 9 need to be correct to get passing grade.
Criteria for report evaluation: report defence and author’s ability to discuss and give answers on asked questions about report content. Report must be formatted accordingly with requirements for study works.

Compulsory reading

1. LR reģistrēto augu aizsardzības līdzekļu sarakts. Rīga: VAAD/ ik gadu arī elektroniski https://registri.vaad.gov.lv/reg/aal_saraksts.aspx
2. World Compendium The Pesticide Manual (2006): Ed-in-chief, C.D.S.Tomlin, BCPC, 1348 pp.
3. Turka I. (2003) Pesticīdu lietošanas riski augu aizsardzībā, LLKC, Ozolnieki, 159 lpp.

Periodicals and other sources

1. AgroTops. Rīga: Aģentūra Agro apgāds. ISSN 1407-5164
2. Saimnieks LV. Rīga: TEE BIO, 2004- ISSN 1691-1598 3. Dārzs un Drava: dārzkopības un biškopības žurnāls. Rīga: Dārzs un Drava. ISSN 0132-6457

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