Introduction to plant and forest pathology, historical facts. Examples of diseases of significant economic and social impact.

GENERAL SECTION
Basic concepts
• Meanings of illness, injury, lesion, healing in plant pathology.
• abiotic (non-infectious) and biotic (infectious) diseases.
• Complex diseases
• Disease triangle
• Classification of diseases
Generalities on Causal Agents of Infectious Diseases
• Viruses and Viroids,
• Phytoplasmas
• Bacteria
• Oomycetes
• True fungi
• Parasite phanerogams
Disease Stages
• from pre-infection to evasion.
• Inoculum Concept: Charge, Density and Potential
Symptomatology
• Difference between symptom and sign
• Types of symptoms: chromatic alterations, necrosis, cankers, tumors, early fall of organs, alteration of shape and size, exudates, water state alterations
• Critical analysis of symptoms
Diagnostics
• Critical approach to diagnosis: history, field observations, sample collection and retention.
• Basic methods: in vivo and in vitro laboratory diagnostics, isolation of the pathogen, microscopic observation of structures.
• Advanced methods: immunological and molecular techniques.
• Koch’s postulates
• Diagnosing wood decay: classical and instrumental analysis

DISEASE-SPECIFIC SECTION
• Abiotic damage from: variations and water imbalances; Variations and thermal imbalances; Exceptional events (hail, snow, lightning, fire, etc.); Nutritional deficits (or excesses); Illumination deficit; Phytotoxic Air Pollutants (IFA); Other pollutants.
• Root rots by Oomycetes: ??chestnut ink disease and other rots by Phytophthora spp.
• Root rots by true fungi: Root rot of hardwood and conifers by Armillaria spp .; “mal del rotondo” by Heterobasidion annosum s.l .; White root rot of deciduous trees by Rosellinia necatrix.
• Tracheomycosis: Dutch Elm Disease by Ophiostoma ulmi and novo-ulmi; Verticillosis of the deciduous trees; Canker stain of plain by Ceratocystis platani; Blue stain of coniferous wood by Ophiostomatales.
• Canker: Cypress canker by Seiridium cardinale; Larch canker by Lachnellula willkommii; Bark canker of chestnut by Cryphonectria parasitica; Charcoal canker of oak by Biscogniauxia mediterranea; Beech canker by Nectria ditissima; Bark canker by Nectria spp.
• Coniferous coniferous diseases: Shoot blight and needle disease of pine by Thyriopsis halepensis; Needle cast by Lophodermium seditiosum and L. pinastri; Red bands needle blight of pine by Dothistroma pini; Needlecast of white fir by Lirula nervisequa; Needlecast of red fir by Lophodermium piceae; brown felt blight by Herpotrichia juniperi; Diplodia blight by Diplodia pinea; Other needle blight tree diseases of pines: Brunchorstia pinea, Phacidium infestans, Cyclaneusma pini; Other disease agents of needles of conifers: Acanthostigma parasiticum, Meria laricis, Brunchorstia laricina, Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, Rhadbocline pseudotsugae
• Canopy diseases of broadleaves: oak anthracnose by Apiognomonia quercina; Beech anthracnose by Apiognomonia errabunda; Horse chestnut anthracnose by Guignardia aesculi; Plane anthracnose by Apiognomonia veneta; Other anthracnose causal agents: Discula destructiva, Elsinoe quercus-ilicis; Leaf curl and blisters by Taphrina spp. on wood species: T. populina, T. betulina, T. saccari, T. crataegi, T. tosquinetii, T. kruchii, T. ulmi, T. phagicola, T. wiesneri, T. alni; Powdery mildew of oak by Microsphaera alphtoides; Powdery mildew of plane by Microsphaera platani; Other Powdery mildews of wood species: Phyllactinia guttata, Uncinula salicis; Poplar leaf blight by Marssonina brunnea; WWalnut blight by Marssonina juglandis; Other leaf blight: Marssonina castagnei, M. betulae, M. coronaria, M. salicicola; Chestnut leaf spot by Mycosphaerella maculiformis; Maple tar spot by Rhytisma acerinum; Spring defoliation of poplar by Venturia populina and Venturia macularis; Anthracnose or "black spots" by Gloeosporium spp.
• Rust: needle bladder rust of spruce by Chrysomyxa rhododendri; Spruce needle rust by Chrysomixa abietis; Two-Needle Pine Stem Rust by Cronartium flaccidum; White pine blister rust by Cronartium ribicola; fir broom rust by Melampsorella caryophyllacearum; Juniper and rosaceae (stem swelling) rust by Gymnosporangium sabinae, G. tremelloides, G. clavariiforme; Pine Twisting Rust by Melampsora pinitorqua; Poplar rusts from Melampsora allii-populina, M. larch-populina, M. larch-tremulae, M. pulcherrima, M. rostrupii.
• Wood decays: Micro-environmental Conditioning (CM) theory; Modes of action of white, brown and soft wood decays; Compartmentalization theory (CODIT); diagnosis of wood decay; Main wood decay agents (Phellinus spp., Stereum spp .; Ganoderma spp .; Trametes spp., Pleurotus spp., Fomitiporia spp., Phaeolus spp., Fomitopsis spp .; Lenzites spp., Fistulina spp., Inonotus spp.
• Diseases of forest nursery: Damping-off.
• Diseases of forest populations (complex diseases): Forest decline; Oak decline; Beech decline, etc .; Role of the endophytism of weakness pathogens in complex diseases.

Suggested books:
- Elementi di Patologia Forestale, Capretti P. e Ragazzi A., Patron Editore
- Fondamenti di Patologia Vegetale, Matta A., Patron Editore