Information Package / Course Catalogue
Plant Bacterial Diseases
Course Code: BK407
Course Type: Required
Couse Group: First Cycle (Bachelor's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 2
Prt.: 1
Credit: 3
Lab: 0
ECTS: 4
Objectives of the Course

Students are aimed to learn the fundamentals of classifying, isolating and characterizing of bacterial plant pathogens, and to acquire knowledge on plant bacterial diseases and control methods.

Course Content

Course includes basic information on plant pathogenic and beneficial plant bacteria, overview of disease symptoms, dissemination, infection processes, pathogen life cycles and control methods. The laboratory sessions provide opportunities to inoculate plants and follow disease development, to isolate and identify major bacterial pathogens from diseased tissue collected in the field.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes
1.To be able to list major terms and concepts relevant to plant pathogenic bacteria
2.To be able to identify the major phytopathogenic bacteria, including their taxonomy and the disease that they cause
3.To be able to describe pathogen ecology, pathogenesis mechanisms, and epidemiology.
4.Learning the symptoms of bacterial diseases.
5.Learning the control of bacterial diseases.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Bitki Bakteri Hastalıkları, (Eds; H. Saygılı, F. Şahin, Y. Aysan), ISBN 978– 9944–5882–1–8. 317s, Meta Basım, İzmir, (2008)
2.Plant Bacteriology (Eds. Clarence Kado, CD edited by Milton N. Schroth, Eva I. Hecht-Poinar, and Anne M. Alvarez), ISBN 978-0-89054-390-0, APS Press, 2010, 368p.
3.Fitobakteriyoloji ve Bakteriyel Hastalıklar, İbrahim Karaca, Ege Üniversitesi Matbaası, 1977, İzmir, 270p.
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
Outline the history and current focus of the field of phyotobacteriology
Week 1 - Practice
Laboratory rules, safety and orientation (formation of working groups)
Week 2 - Theoretical
Ecology and epidemiology of plant-associated bacteria
Week 2 - Practice
Soil preparation and seed sowing for plants used in laboratory experiments
Week 3 - Theoretical
Detection and isolation of phytobacteria (Grouping of Students and Assignment Distribution)
Week 3 - Practice
Introduction to the general bacteriology laboratory (equipment, instruments and laboratory facilities)
Week 4 - Theoretical
Classification of phytopathogenic bacteria
Week 4 - Practice
Introduction to the general bacteriology laboratory (continued) and transplanting of seedlings
Week 5 - Theoretical
Control methods of plant bacterial diseases
Week 5 - Practice
Preparation of chemical solutions and calculations, and culture media preparation
Week 6 - Theoretical
Gram negative phytopathogenic bacteria Burkholderia and Acidovorax
Week 6 - Practice
Colony characteristics, pure cultures, solid and liquid culture media, selective and differential media, bacterial inoculation, and colony morphology
Week 7 - Theoretical
Gram negative phytopathogenic bacteria Burkholderia and Acidovorax (Midterm exam)
Week 7 - Practice
Introduction to basic biochemical tests and bacterial identification using classical and modern methods
Week 8 - Theoretical
Gram negative phytopathogenic bacteria Erwinia, Ralstonia
Week 8 - Practice
Preparation of bacterial suspensions, serial dilutions, and determination of bacterial concentration
Week 9 - Theoretical
Gram negative phytopathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas
Week 9 - Practice
Introduction to microscopy and the principles of using the 100× oil-immersion objective, Gram staining, and the KOH test
Week 10 - Theoretical
Gram negative phytopathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas, Pantoea
Week 10 - Practice
Pathogenicity testing
Week 11 - Theoretical
Gram negative phytopathogenic bacteria Xanthomonas (Quiz)
Week 11 - Practice
Oxidation/fermentation (O/F) test, protease test, and potato soft rot assay
Week 12 - Theoretical
Gram-positive phytopathogenic bacteria Clavibacter, Streptomyces
Week 12 - Practice
Evaluation of pathogenicity tests, disease symptom assessment, disease severity measurement, and statistical analysis
Week 13 - Theoretical
Fastidious phytopathogenic bacteria Xylella
Week 13 - Practice
Bacterial isolation and Koch’s postulates
Week 14 - Theoretical
Spiroplasmas and Phytoplasmas (Assignment submission)
Week 14 - Practice
Hypersensitive response test on tobacco
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Assignment1%5
Quiz1%5
Midterm Examination1%30
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory141242
Lecture - Practice141128
Assignment1303
Quiz1404
Midterm Examination1819
Final Examination113114
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)100
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
PÇ-11
OÇ-1
3
3
3
OÇ-2
3
3
3
3
OÇ-3
5
5
5
5
OÇ-4
3
3
3
3
OÇ-5
4
4
4
4
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026