BIO403 Plant Pathogenesis
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Mar 03, 2026
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Genetics and Bioengineering
Mohamed Ibrahim
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
"The course aims : - To enable students to apply the terminology used by plant pathologists and those interested in plant sciences, - To teach students about Bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes and other organisms as plant pathogens, - To equip the students with understanding the role of the environment in disease development, - To equip students with the methods used in identification of plant pathogens, disease diagnosis, - To make students understand the effects of plant diseases on crop production, the environment and control practices."
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
Agrios, G.N. (2004). Plant Pathology. (5th ed). San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press.
Additional Literature
NATeaching Methods
Class discussions with examples
Lab Exercises
Team assignments
Team presentation that involve real data, summary, interpretation and reporting and Field visits
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction: Plants and Disease | Agrios chapter 1 |
| 2 | Parasitism and Disease development | Agrios chapter 2 |
| 3 | How plants defend themselves against pathogens | Agrios chapter 6 |
| 4 | Plant diseases caused by Fungi | Agrios chapter 11 |
| 5 | Diseases Caused by Myxomycota | Agrios chapter 11 |
| 6 | Diseases Caused by Oomycetes and Basidiomycetes | Agrios chapter 11 |
| 7 | Diseases Caused by Ascomycetes and Deutromycetes | Agrios chapter 11 |
| 8 | Plant Diseases Caused by Bacteria: Bacterial Spots and Blights | Agrios chapter 12 |
| 9 | Plant Diseases Caused by Bacteria: Bacterial Vascular Wilts | Agrios chapter 12 |
| 10 | Plant Diseases Caused by Bacteria: Bacterial Soft Rots | Agrios chapter 12 |
| 11 | Plant Diseases Caused by Viruses: The Biological Function of Viral Components | Agrios chapter 14 |
| 12 | "Diseases Caused by Rigid Rod-Shaped and Filamentous Viruses " | Agrios chapter 14 |
| 13 | Diseases Caused by Single-Stranded RNA Viruses | Agrios chapter 14 |
| 14 | Plant Diseases Caused by Geminiviridae Viruses | Agrios chapter 14 |
| 15 | Revision |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
| Section | Type | Day 1 | Venue 1 | Day 2 | Venue 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO403.1 | Course | Wednesday 12:00 - 14:50 | A F1.25 | - | - |
| BIO403.1 | Tutorial | Tuesday 19:00 - 19:50 | B F2.17 | - | - |
Office Hours & Room
| Day | Time | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12:00 - 15:00 | A F1.14 | |
| Tuesday | 10:00 - 12:00 | A F1.14 | |
| Wednesday | 10:00 - 12:00 | A F1.14 | |
| Thursday | 10:00 - 12:00 | A F1.14 | |
| Friday | 10:00 - 12:00 | A F1.14 |
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 2 4
Quizzes
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 2 4
In-term Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 2 4
Presentations
AI: Consult InstructorAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 3 5 6
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture Hours
45 hours ⏳ (15 week × 3 h)
Assignments
8 hours ⏳ (4 week × 2 h)
Home Study
45 hours ⏳ (15 week × 3 h)
In-term Exam Study
10 hours ⏳ (1 week × 10 h)
Final Exam Study
12 hours ⏳ (1 week × 12 h)
Term Project/Presentation
30 hours ⏳ (3 week × 10 h)
150 Total Workload Hours
6 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [BIO403] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Mar 03, 2026 | International University of Sarajevo
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Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| BIO403 | Plant Pathogenesis | 3 | 1 | 6 | Wednesdays 12:00 - 02:50 | |||||
| Prerequisite | Senior Standing | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Mohamed Ibrahim | Office Hours / Room / Phone | Monday: 12:00-15:00 Tuesday: 10:00-12:00 Wednesday: 10:00-12:00 Thursday: 10:00-12:00 Friday: 10:00-12:00 |
|||||||
| mragab@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | Assistant E-mail | |||||||||
| Course Objectives | "The course aims : - To enable students to apply the terminology used by plant pathologists and those interested in plant sciences, - To teach students about Bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes and other organisms as plant pathogens, - To equip the students with understanding the role of the environment in disease development, - To equip students with the methods used in identification of plant pathogens, disease diagnosis, - To make students understand the effects of plant diseases on crop production, the environment and control practices." |
|||||||||
| Textbook | Agrios, G.N. (2004). Plant Pathology. (5th ed). San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press. | |||||||||
| Additional Literature |
|
|||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Class discussions with examples. Lab Exercises. Team assignments. Team presentation that involve real data, summary, interpretation and reporting and Field visits. | |||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Face-to-face | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | ||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Introduction: Plants and Disease | Agrios chapter 1 | ||||||||
| Week 2 | Parasitism and Disease development | Agrios chapter 2 | ||||||||
| Week 3 | How plants defend themselves against pathogens | Agrios chapter 6 | ||||||||
| Week 4 | Plant diseases caused by Fungi | Agrios chapter 11 | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Diseases Caused by Myxomycota | Agrios chapter 11 | ||||||||
| Week 6 | Diseases Caused by Oomycetes and Basidiomycetes | Agrios chapter 11 | ||||||||
| Week 7 | Diseases Caused by Ascomycetes and Deutromycetes | Agrios chapter 11 | ||||||||
| Week 8 | Plant Diseases Caused by Bacteria: Bacterial Spots and Blights | Agrios chapter 12 | ||||||||
| Week 9 | Plant Diseases Caused by Bacteria: Bacterial Vascular Wilts | Agrios chapter 12 | ||||||||
| Week 10 | Plant Diseases Caused by Bacteria: Bacterial Soft Rots | Agrios chapter 12 | ||||||||
| Week 11 | Plant Diseases Caused by Viruses: The Biological Function of Viral Components | Agrios chapter 14 | ||||||||
| Week 12 | "Diseases Caused by Rigid Rod-Shaped and Filamentous Viruses " | Agrios chapter 14 | ||||||||
| Week 13 | Diseases Caused by Single-Stranded RNA Viruses | Agrios chapter 14 | ||||||||
| Week 14 | Plant Diseases Caused by Geminiviridae Viruses | Agrios chapter 14 | ||||||||
| Week 15 | Revision | |||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Exam | 1 | 40 | 2,4 | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| Quizzes | 2 | 20 | 2,4 | Not Allowed | |
| In-term Exam | 1 | 25 | 2,4 | Not Allowed | |
| Presentations | 3 | 15 | 1,3,5,6 | Consult Instructor | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture Hours | 3 | 15 | 45 | Assignments | 2 | 4 | 8 | |||
| Active Tutorials | 0 | 14 | 0 | Home Study | 3 | 15 | 45 | |||
| In-term Exam Study | 10 | 1 | 10 | Final Exam Study | 12 | 1 | 12 | |||
| Term Project/Presentation | 10 | 3 | 30 | |||||||
| Total Workload Hours = | 150 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 6 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 13/03/2026 | |||||||||