Plant Protection and Phytosanitation

Plant protection is a profile area at SLU, most of the activities concerning pest and pathogens are unique to SLU and are not found anywhere else in Sweden. The research area has been reviewed by an international panel that deemed the research quality and capacity to be generally very strong. Plant protection at SLU integrates both basic and applied sciences through internal cooperation and strategic alliances with other high quality research groups both nationally and internationally. The government of Sweden recently created a committee on Plant Protection to deal with problems and possibilities when implementing IPM (integrated pest management) in Sweden. SLU is the only university in Sweden represented on this committee.

Research is conducted both in Uppsala at the Department of Ecology and the Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology as well as in Alnarp at the Department of Plant Protection Biology. The collective competence includes research on plant protection not only in agriculture, but also horticulture and forestry. Our approach always includes environmental considerations and we try to balance production issues with conservation values.

Education in plant protection at SLU has a long history and is characterized by cooperation. It is necessary for courses to be designed to highlight both pest and pathogens and their interactions. IPM (integrated pest management) is one of the most important concepts taught in our plant protection courses. Students at the undergraduate level most often are exposed to plant protection in integrated courses to be able to have the basic knowledge necessary for complete plant protection plans, not just strategies for individual pest and pathogens. At the Masters level courses in Entomology, Insect Ecology, Chemical Ecology and Plant Pathology are taught. We have, therefore, the capacity and experience to design a Masters program in Plant Protection that would be based on the development of high quality courses. The courses we envision would include deeper knowledge on the ecology of pests and pathogens as well as the interactions between the crop plants, the attacking organisms and the natural enemies to serious pests and pathogens. We commonly work with stakeholders and this means we have experience in teaching that will prepare students for communication with plant protection advisory workers and policy makers as well as increasing their critical research skills.

Because our research profile is strong we have the experience and capacity to supervise students at both the Masters and PhD level. Research from both our Masters and PhD theses are most often published in international peer review journals and there is generally a culture of excellence and cooperation within plant protection. Our PhD education has been successful and there is a history of working within research schools so that students will be able to learn both the general basics in research as well as take courses in areas specific to their thesis research.

All of the above-mentioned departments have a long history of collaboration with developing countries. We have, collectively, been advisors for students at both the Masters and PhD level over the years as well as developing strong and productive research collaborations in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Among our many partners throughout the world some of interest for the program in Rwanda would be our contacts with Makerere University in Uganda and international centers such as ICIPE (International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology), ICRAF, CIAT and CIP.