Positive and negative plant interactions with fungi, bacteria, viruses and animals, with an emphasis on how understanding plant interactions provides insights into plant biology from community structure to crop productivity.
Gain insight into how plants determine whether microbes and insects are friend or foe. Sophisticated mechanisms govern plant interactions and ultimately decide whether a plant will thrive or fail. Learn how these interactions impact on plant biotechnology, genetics, ecology and crop productivity.
| Paper title | Plant Interactions |
|---|---|
| Paper code | BTNY302 |
| Subject | Botany |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $1,141.35 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- Two of BTNY 201, BTNY 202, BTNY 203, ECOL 211, ECOL 212, GENE 222, GENE 223, GEOG 287, MARI 202, STAT 210, ZOOL 221, ZOOL 222, ZOOL 223
- Schedule C
- Science
- Contact
- botany@otago.ac.nz
- Teaching staff
Course Co-ordinator: Associate Professor Paul Guy
- Paper Structure
Lectures
- Week 1: Horizontal Gene Transfer
- Week 2: Fungal Endophytes of Grasses
- Week 3-4: Viruses
- Week 5-6: Mycorrhiza
- Week 7: Lichens
- Week 8-9: Pollinators/Insect Interactions
- Week 10-11: Plant-bacteria interactions
- Week 12: Case studies
- Week 13: Course wrap up & revision
Laboratories
- Week 2-6: Plant microbiome
- Week 3-6: Koch's Postulates
- Week 4: Techniques for detecting microbes
- Week 7-8: Report writing
- Week 9: Horopito wounding response
- Week 10: Fuchsia pollination
- Teaching Arrangements
- Two 1-hour lectures per week
One 4-hour laboratory per week - Textbooks
Textbooks are not required for this paper.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Critical thinking, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation,
Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who learn successfully in this paper will:
- Be familiar with the theoretical context of plant interactions with a diverse range of organisms
- Understand the importance of the plant microbiome and how this varies between the rhizosphere and phyllosphere and how this impacts on plant health and productivity
- Understand the role of fungi, viruses and insects in plant physiology, ecology and pathology
- Be familiar with methods used to investigate plant interactions
- Demonstrate skills in scientific communication
