- Docente: Luca Corelli Grappadelli
- Credits: 6
- SSD: AGR/03
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Ornamental plants and landscape protection (cod. 8523)
Learning outcomes
The student will acquire: working knowledge of tree organs, capacity to identify vegetative and reproductive structure; knowledge on hormones and hormonal regulation of growth, including the application of bioregulators to control tree development; knowledge of the main metabolic cycles in the plant: carbon, water, main nutrients; knowledge on tree/light interactions, with emphasis on the regulation by light of tree physiological performance. The student will also gain knowledge of the principles underpinning pruning ornamental plants, and the capacity to implement ornamental tree production techniques, from propagation to planting, pruning, irrigating, fertilizing, etc.
Course contents
a) Prerequisites
Students entering this course need knowledge in: mathematics to understand the modelling approaches; physics and chemistry to understand the plant/environment interactions; plant biology for the anatomy, cytology, cell functioning. These prerequisites are all needed for the thourough understanding of the subject matter of the course.
The design and management of landscape and urban green mandate that professionals in this field possess a strong understanding of the tree, its ontogeny and utilization.
b) Contents
The course is divided in 9 teaching units, which are described below:
1. Tree organs (teaching unit length: 3 hours)
Description and identification of tree organs.
The student learns to identify and acquires the proper nomenclature
for all the parts/organs that make up e tree. This unit includes a
field lab.
2. Tree sexual reproduction (teaching unit length: 5
hours)
Seed, Polyembriony, apomissy, juvenility.
Timing and methods for planting seeds, seedling management.
The student learn methods and acquires knowledge related to sexual
reproduction of trees.
3. Tree asexual propagation (teaching unit length: 8
hours)
Tree propagation methods: grafting, cuttings, layering,
micropropagation.
Chimeras, mutations, topophysis.
Grafting: main types and methods.
The student acquires knowledge related to how to propagate
a-sexually trees, and learns the techniques involved in the
practice. This teaching unit and the previous one may include a
field trip to a nursery.
4. Canopy management (teaching unit length:
6hours)
Principles and rules applying to pruning ornamental trees.
Pruning techniques.
The student gains a perspective on the problems related to the
pruning vs. non-pruning options in ornamental trees, and to
determine when an ornamental tree needs to be pruned. He also gains
knowledge on the types of pruning cuts, methods and nomenclature.
This unit includes a field lab on the campus premises.
5. Tree/Environment Relations(teaching unit length: 8
hours)
Tree/light interactions.
Tree responses to temperature, rain, other precipitation.
The student learns to to assess environmental conditions prior to
deciding the genus, species, cultivar to utilize in any given
environment. This unit may include self-taught activities by the
student.
6. Tree ontogeny: vegetative and reproductive cycles
(teaching unit length: 8 hours)
Tree Carbon balance.
Vegetative vs. reproductive growth, flower bud differentiation,
flowering.
The student acquires fundamental knowledge for the correct
management of the tree, which is the overall goal of the
course.
7. Tree water relations (teaching unit length:
6hours)
Water uptake and movement within the plant.
Water potential, definition, measurement.
Water stress induced by excess vs. shortage of water.
Irrigation and fertigation.
The student learns the physiological bases underpinning the water
demand by the tree, coupled to know-how on the determination of
irrigation volume and timing of application.
8. Light (teaching unit length: 4
hours)
Pigment absorption.
Absorption and activity spectra.
The student learns about the varying requirements for light
presented by ornamental trees and indoor ornamental plants. This
knowledge is essential for the choice of various species, in order
to match genera, species to the actual light conditions.
9. Tree life cycle (teaching unit length: 12
hours)
Morphogenesis and photomorphogenesis, phytochrome,
phototropisms.
Hormones and plant growth regulators.
Flower bud differentiation, flowering, senescence.
The student integrates the knowledge and skills from the previous
sections and forms a holistic view of the tree, its functioning,
matching this knowledge with practical skills to manage the
trees.
Readings/Bibliography
All teaching materials are provided by the instructor.
A good reference text is:
S. Sansavini et. al. “Arboricoltura Generale” Patron, Bologna.
Teaching methods
The course features up to 60% of the hours in the classroom, and the remaining 40% administered as field labs, visits, greenhouse activities. Seeds are sown and plant development observations are carried out. Photosynthesis and water potentials are measured in plants subjected to stress, e.g. waterr stress.
Assessment methods
This module is part of the Integrated Course 65946 - ARBORICOLTURA ORNAMENTALE CON ELEMENTI DI SELVICOLTURA (C.I.), together with the following module: 42127 ELEMENTI DI SELVICOLTURA. Therefore, the evaluation of the integrated course jointly considers the knowledge level acquired by the student, in relation to all the materials covered in both modules. The knowledge acquired in this module is assessed via a multiple choice exam, administered online,covering all teaching units. The goal of the evaluation is to assess the overall capacity of the student to recognize and address problem areas in the field of ornamental tree management, and devise solutions to these problems.
Teaching tools
PC, Beamer, ornamental trees and orchards, Scarabelli Greenhouse, scientific instruments made available by the instructor.
Office hours
See the website of Luca Corelli Grappadelli