PLSC689Q

Various aspects of microbiology will be covered as it pertains to agricultural systems. Topics to be covered include microbial diversity in soil, the rhizosphere and the phyllosphere, the impact and role bacteria play in promoting plant growth and suppressing disease, and the ecological functions of bacterial communities in soil as drivers of biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and greenhouse gas emissions and in the aerial portions of a plant. All these topics will be discussed from an agricultural perspective, food security and safety. The course is structured around journal article reviews and discussions to encourage critical thinking and provide the opportunity to bridge concepts and ideas from multiple disciplines. In addition, there will be opportunity for more in-depth literature review and discussion of salien research areas within agricultural microbiology, with specific attention to methodologies and study design.