MIBI 22034
>< Type/Status : Core
>< Title : Environmental and Agricultural
Microbiology
>< Pre-requisite : MIBI 12014 & MIBI
12022
>< Co-requisite : MIBI 22042
>< Objectives : At the end of the course
unit, the students will be able to demonstrate the knowledge and understanding
of
• the place of microorganisms in eco-systems and
the major roles played by them,
• the causes and effects of oligotrophication and
eutrophication in lakes and ponds,
• water purification techniques and indicator microorganisms
used for microbiological quality of water,
• the solid waste management and liquid waste management
and the new remedial technologies for environmental pollution,
• the microbial communities in the environment and
their interactions with plants causing diseases,
• Pesticide microbiology and Post harvest microbiology
of fruits & vegetables.
>< Course content:
Environmental Microbiology
Microbial ecology and ecosystems, place and the significance of microorganisms
in the ecosystem. Microbial interactions with plants, animals and microorganisms.
Aquatic environment as a microbial habitat. Microbiology of air. Microbial contribution
to pollution, pathogens, persistence of non-biodegradable Xenobiotic molecules.
Environmental biotechnology:
Microbiology of domestic water and sewage, water pollution, purification, sanitary
quality, sewage treatment.(industrial and domestic). Bioremediation and Bioaugmentation.
Agricultural Microbiology
Microbial disease of crops, symptoms of plant disease and mechanisms of microbial
pathogenicity, Transmission of plant pathogens, viral diseases, viroid diseases,
bacterial diseases, fungal diseases.
Agricultural biotechnology: control
of crop diseases. Pesticide microbiology. Biological control of plant diseases.
post-harvest microbiology of fruits and vegetables.
Soil microbiology: Diversity
of microbial habitats, Physical, chemical and biological aspects of soil structure.
Methods of studying soil microorganisms. The significance of microbial biomass
in soil. Biogeochemical cycles.
>< Methodology: A
combination of lectures and tutorials.
>< Scheme of Evaluation: 100% end of course
examination.
>< Recommended Reading:
1. Agrios, G.N. (1997). Plant Pathology, Academic Press
2. Atlas, R. & Bartha R.(1998). Microbial Ecology:
Fundamentals and Applications(4th ed). Benjamin/Cummings Pub. Inc.
3. Dikinson and Lucas (1998). Plant Pathology and Plant
Pathogens. Blackwell
Science, Inc. Oxford, UK.
4. Hurst, C. J., Knudson, G. R. (1997). Manual of Environmental
Microbiology Washington, ASM Press
5. Matthews, R.E.F (1992). Plant Virology. Academic Press.
6. Ronald M.Atlas (1996). Microbiology Fundamentals and
applications. Wm. C. Brown Publishers
7. Schaad, N.W. (2001). Plant Pathogenic Bacteria. APS
Press.
8. Scheffer, R.P. ( 1997). The Nature of Diseases in Plants.
Cambridge University Press.
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