Information Package / Course Catalogue
Ornamental Plant Diseases and Control
Course Code: PSB129
Course Type: Required
Couse Group: Short Cycle (Associate's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 1
Prt.: 1
Credit: 2
Lab: 0
ECTS: 2
Objectives of the Course

It is aimed to explain the general characteristics of plant disease agents and specify general control methods to students. It aims to enable them to identify diseases observed in ornamental plants, understand the symptoms and damage caused by these agents on the host plant, and make comparisons regarding general control methods applied against disease agents.

Course Content

Biotic (fungal, bacterial, viral, etc.) and abiotic disease agents observed in ornamental plants; diseases seen in cut flowers, potted ornamental plants, turfgrasses, and trees, along with their control methods, as well as the introduction and control of weeds causing problems in landscaped areas are explained.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes
1.Distinguish between living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) agents causing diseases in ornamental plants.
2.Explain the processes of plant disease occurrence, development, and symptom expression on the plant.
3.Formulate macroscopic and microscopic diagnoses of major diseases observed in cut flowers, potted ornamental plants, turfgrass, and woody landscape plants.
4.Identify and classify important weed species that cause problems in landscaped areas.
5.Plan and compare control methods (cultural, chemical, biological, etc.) to be applied against diseases and weeds in accordance with environmental and occupational health and safety principles.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Horst, R. K., 1995. Compendium of Rose Diseases. APS Press St. Paul Minnesota,USA 50 pp.
2.Horst. R. K., Nelson P.E., 1997. Compendium of Chrysanthemum Diseases. APS Press St. Paul Minnesota,USA 50 pp.
3.Couch, H. B., 1995. Diseases of Turfgrasses.Krieger Publishing Company Malabar Florida,USA 421 pp.
4.Daughtrey,M. And A.R. Chase 1992. Ball Field Guide to Diseases of Greenhouse Ornamentals. Ball Publishing Batavia, Illinois , USA. 218 pp.
5.Daughtrey,M.L., R.L. Wick and J.L. Peterson, 1995. Compendium of Flowering Potted Plant Diseases. APS Pres.St.Paul, MN, USA. 90 pp.
6.Pirone,P.P. 1978. Diseases&Pests of Ornamental Plants. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., USA. 566 pp.
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical & Practice
The importance and fundamental concepts of ornamental plant protection in the landscape sector will be discussed; disease, pest, pathogen, and host definitions will be provided, followed by an introduction to the plant protection laboratory.
Week 2 - Theoretical & Practice
Non-living (abiotic) disease agents in plants, such as nutrient deficiencies, extreme temperatures, light, water, and air pollution, will be examined, and examples of degradation caused by these adversities on plant physiology and tissues will be diagnosed in the field.
Week 3 - Theoretical & Practice
The morphological structures of fungi, bacteria, and viruses, which are living (biotic) disease agents in plants, will be theoretically discussed, and the general morphological and microscopic characteristics of these microorganisms will be examined in the laboratory with examples.
Week 4 - Theoretical & Practice
The concept of the disease triangle in plants will be explained through the processes of disease development mechanisms; simultaneously, methods for collecting diseased samples from ornamental plants according to proper techniques, transferring them to the laboratory, and preparing them for diagnosis will be demonstrated.
Week 5 - Theoretical & Practice
The spread of disease agents within plant tissues, colonization processes, and the effects of environmental factors on the disease agent will be investigated; the development of the disease under greenhouse and open field conditions and the effects of climatic factors on this process will be observed.
Week 6 - Theoretical & Practice
The macroscopic symptoms of plant diseases, such as spots, wilting, rot, galls, discoloration, and deformation, will be described, and these symptoms will be diagnosed in different ornamental plants.
Week 7 - Theoretical & Practice
Legal, cultural, physical, biological, and chemical control principles constituting general management methods against disease agents will be conveyed, and the correct use and calibration of spraying equipment will be practiced in line with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles.
Week 8 - Theoretical & Practice
This course will cover major fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases that cause economic losses in cut flower cultivation, along with control strategies. Following this, a midterm exam will be administered to measure the theoretical and practical gains from the first half of the semester.
Week 9 - Theoretical & Practice
The identification and control of root rots, leaf spots, and viral diseases frequently encountered in potted ornamental plants will be emphasized, and root and drying problems of these plants will be examined in the laboratory alongside fungal slide preparation techniques.
Week 10 - Theoretical & Practice
The management of downy mildew, powdery mildew, rust, and canker diseases observed in outdoor ornamental trees and shrubs will be conveyed according to technical standards, and a disease survey work will be conducted on woody plants within the campus or nearby park areas.
Week 11 - Theoretical & Practice
Fungal diseases commonly seen in turfgrass areas, such as root rots and leaf spot, will be examined, and proper turf sampling from green spaces will be conducted to diagnose and evaluate the disease symptoms in the field.
Week 12 - Theoretical & Practice
This course will cover the causative agents, biology, and control methods of common diseases affecting ornamental plants in greenhouses and open fields; the morphological structures of these pathogens and the symptoms they cause in plant tissues will be examined under a stereomicroscope.
Week 13 - Theoretical & Practice
The identification, biology, and ecological impacts of narrow and broad-leaved weeds causing aesthetic and structural problems in landscaped areas will be emphasized, and methods for weed collection, pressing, drying, and herbarium preparation from the field will be carried out practically.
Week 14 - Theoretical & Practice
The course will cover mechanical, cultural, and chemical methods used in weed control in landscape and ornamental plants; the overall course evaluation will conclude with demonstrations of correct herbicide selection, dosage calculation, and application without jeopardizing the environment or occupational health and safety.
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Assignment1%10
Term Assignment1%10
Midterm Examination1%20
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory141128
Lecture - Practice140114
Assignment1213
Term Project1224
Midterm Examination1213
Final Examination1213
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)55
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
PÇ-7
PÇ-8
PÇ-9
PÇ-10
OÇ-1
5
3
1
1
2
4
5
3
1
4
OÇ-2
5
4
1
1
2
4
5
3
1
4
OÇ-3
5
5
2
3
3
5
5
4
2
4
OÇ-4
5
4
2
2
2
4
5
4
2
4
OÇ-5
5
5
5
4
4
5
5
5
3
5
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026