You will play the role of a plant pathologist recently hired by a county farming agency, working to identify a mysterious fungus in the county’s wheat fields and recommend an action plan for local farmers to deal with the fungus. You will continue on in the course as a plant pathologist, working for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, specifically serving on the Ug99 taskforce. Ug99 is a wheat rust which poses a major threat to the world’s food supply. You will be asked to evaluate several proposals that have been submitted to the taskforce, carefully analyzing each one and ultimately recommending one for funding.

In this unique online course, you will learn about the role of plant pathologists—scientists specializing in the study of plant diseases—and how they work to promote plant health and ensure the world’s food supply by studying plants and plant pathogens. You will explore how they work to understand the causes of plant diseases, how those diseases affect the quality and growth of a plant, and ultimately, how those diseases can be overcome.

This course will run from 4:00-6:00PM PDT Monday through Friday for three weeks. Course activities and class meetings are facilitated by industry experts who partner with UC Davis.