Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Common Entrance Test For PhD (IGKV-CET) - Syllabus For Plant Pathology Department

Unit 1: Principles of Plant Pathology
Importance, definitions and concepts of plant diseases, Milestones in phytopathology. Major
epidemics and their social impacts. Historical developments of chemicals, legislative, cultural
and biological protection measures including classification of plant diseases. Physiologic
specialization, Koch’s postulates Biotic and abiotic causes of plant diseases. Survival and
dispersal of important plant pathogens; Role of environment and host nutrition on disease
development. Host parasite interaction, recognition concept and infection. Symptomatology.
Disease development- role of enzymes, toxins, growth regulators. Defense strategies- oxidative
burst; Phenolics, Phytoalexins; PR proteins; Elicitors; Altered plant metabolism as affected by
plant pathogens; Mechanism of genetic variation in pathogens; Molecular basis for
resistance; marker-assisted selection; Genetic engineering for disease resistance; Disease
management strategies.

Unit 2: Mycology
Concepts of Nomenclature and Classification, History of Mycology; Edible fungi and
Entomogenous fungi, Predaceous fungi; Mycorrhizal associations; Cell organelles; their
morphology; functions and chemical composition; Fungal biodiversity; Reproduction in fungi;
Fungal genetics and variability in fungi.

Unit 3: Plant Virology
History of virology, Nature, composition and architecture of viruses and viroids;
Symptomatology of important plant viral diseases; Transmission; Chemical and physical
properties; Host-virus interaction; Virus-vector relationship; Virus nomenclature and classification; Genome organization; Replication and movement of viruses; Isolation and
purification; Electron microscopy. Protein and nucleic acid based diagnostics; Mycoviruses,
Phytoplasma arbo and baculoviruses, Satellite viruses, satellite RNAs, Phages, viroids,
prions; Principles of the working of electron-microscope and ultra-microtome; Origin and
evolution, mechanism of resistance; Genetic engineering, ecology, and management of plant
viruses.

Unit 4: Plant Bacteriology
Introduction to phytopathogenic procarya, History of bacteriology, Evolution, classification and
nomenclature of phytopathogenic procarya; Important diseases caused by them; Growth,
nutrition requirements; Reproduction, Preservation of bacterial cultures Variability among
phytopathogenic procarya; General biology of bacteriophages; L-form bacteria, plasmids and
bdellovibrios; Procaryotic inhibitors and their mode of action against phytopathogenic
bacteria; Survival and dissemination of phytopathogenic bacteria.

Unit -5 Chemicals in Plant Disease Management
History and development of chemicals; Definition of pesticides and related terms; advantages
and disadvantages of chemicals; Classification of chemicals used in plant disease control and
their characteristics; Chemicals in plant disease control, viz., fungicides, bactericides,
nematicides, antiviral chemicals and botanicals; Formulations, mode of action and
application of different fungicides; chemotherapy and phytotoxicity of fungicides;
Handling, storage and precautions to be taken while using fungicides; compatibility with
other agrochemicals, persistence, cost-benefit ratio, factor affecting fungicides; General
account of plant protection appliances; environmental pollution, residues and health
hazards, fungicidal resistance in plant pathogens and its management.

Unit-6: Disease Resistance in Plants
Introduction and historical development; Dynamics of pathogenicity; Variability in plant
pathogens. Gene centers as sources of resistance; disease resistance terminology; Disease
escapes; disease tolerance, disease resistance, types of resistance; Identification of
physiological races of pathogens; Disease progression in relation to resistance, stabilizing
selection pressure in plant pathogens; Host- defense system, Gene-for-gene concept, protein￾for-protein and immunization basis; Management of resistance genes. Strategies for gene
deployment.

Unit 7: Fungal, Bacterial, Viral and Phanerogamic parasites and Non-parasitic Diseases
Diseases of cereals, millets, oilseeds, pulses, fruits, vegetables, plantation, fiber, spices and
ornamental crops caused by fungus, bacteria, virus, nematodes and Phanerogamic parasites and
their management; Diseases due to unfavorable soil environment, drought and flooding stress
etc; Nutritional deficiencies.

Unit 8: Integrated Disease Management
Introduction, definition, concept and tools of disease management; components of integrated
disease management- their limitations and implications; Development of IDM- basic
principles; Biological disease management Chemical disease management and cultural
disease management; IDM in important crops- Rice; Wheat, cotton, sugarcane; chickpea;
rapeseed- mustard; pearlmillet; pulses; important vegetable and fruit crops

2022