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Crop Protection II

Course developer

Prior knowledge

LauZ3168, Crop Protection I

Course abstract

The students are introduce with organization structure, laws and regulations of Plant Protection in Latvia. Introduce with used methods and agrochemicals to control most important pests and diseases and about agrochemicals classification and mode of action. Knowledge about losses caused by pests and diseases and the economics of different control measures.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Knowledge of the harmful organisms control opportunities, and economic efficiency.
Skills will allow to students assess the situation in individual farms and make a decision on plant protection systems.
Competently evaluate the effectiveness of protective measures, as well as a compliance with plat protection law and regulatory documents, and draw up the projects.

Course outcome evaluation:
During semester after gaining knowledge about specified parts of the course, students are expected to write 4 different tests.
Independent studies during semester – plant protection system management using plant protection products and harmful organism description for random crop which was already chosen in Plant Protection I.
At the end of the course students are required to take exam.

Course Content(Calendar)

Lectures 16
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 (1h).
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 (1h).
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 (1h)
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. 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 (1h).
11. 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 (1h).
12. Herbicides. Herbicide classification. Contact and systemic herbicides. Peculiarities of herbicide selectivity. Herbicide mode of action, herbicide application methods and deadlines. Determination of herbicide dose (1h).

Practical works - 16
1. Work safety in plant protection. Introduction with individual safety measures/devices (2h).
2. Technical efficiency of fungicides used as seed treatment (2h).
3. Bordeaux mixture. Surface tension (2h).
4. Pesticide safety data sheets and information they contain (2h).
5. Economic efficiency of fungicide spraying (2h).
6. Calculation of tasks related to the use of PPP (4h)

7. Report presentation (2h).

Requirements for awarding credit points

1. All practical exercises are mandatory and must be finished.
2. Passing grade in 4 tests:
1. Individual work safety in plant protection.
2. Regulatory documentation in plant protection.
3. Toxicology and terminology of plant protection products.
4. Calculations for required pesticide dose.


3. Passing grade written and defended report about plant protection system management using plant protection products and harmful organism description for random crop which was already chosen in Plant Protection I.

Exam can be passed only after students have fulfilled all previous requirements.

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 which was already chosen in Plant protection I
Independent literature and regulatory document studies, in preparation for tests.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

1. Practical exercise grading - accomplished/ not accomplished.
2. Test grade is depending on scored points (20 questions from which 16 needs to be correct).
3. Required pesticide dose calculations – together 7 questions from which 6 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 Agriculture Faculty’s requirements for study works.

Compulsory reading

1. World Compendium The Pesticide Manual. Ed. by – in chief. C.D.S. Tomlin, BCPC, 2006. - 1348 p.
2. Turka I. Pesticīdu lietošana augu aizsardzībā. LLKC, Ozolnieki, 2003. - 159 lpp.

3. Rokasgrāmata augu aizsardzības līdzekļu droša lietošana cilvēkam un videi, LAALRUTA, 2013. - 52. lpp.

Further reading

Interneta resursi - www.vaad.gov.lv

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