- Docente: Youry Pii
- Credits: 3
- SSD: AGR/13
- Language: English
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in International Horticultural Science (cod. 8883)
Learning outcomes
Students will acquire knowledge and expertise on: 1) mode of action of the main plant protection products used in agriculture, 2) plant metabolism of these agrochemicals, 3) agrochemical fate in the soil. The impact of soil residues on root nutrient acquisition will be also discussed. The course aims to provide students with tools for an appropriate choice of the products to be efficiently used in cultural management.
Course contents
Classification of agrochemicals.
Agrochemicals and their metabolism within cells: mode of action of fungicides (interference with respiration, biosynthesis of sterols, chitin, tubulin and nucleic acids); mode of action of insecticides (neurotoxic and decoupling insecticides); mode of action of herbicides (interference with photosynthesis, biosynthesis of amino acids and biosynthesis of lipids).
Agrochemicals metabolism in plants: reactions of oxidations, reduction, hydrolysis and conjugation.
Agrochemicals fate in soil: movement (leaching, run-off, volatilization), adsorption (adsorption isotherms and adsorption coefficients) and degradation (photodecomposition, chemical and microbiological degradations).
European and Italian legislation of agrochemicals, labeling and their storage.
Practical exercise: determination of agrochemical adsorption and agrochemical degradation in soils.
Readings/Bibliography
Müller F. “Agrochemicals : composition, production, toxicology, applications” ISBN 3-527-29852-5
Roberts T.R. “Metabolic pathways of agrochemicals” ISBN 0-85404-494-9;ISBN 0-85404-499-X
Teaching methods
The course consists of lectures (18 hours frontal lessons) during which the teacher will present all the topics foreseen in the course content. Practical lessons (12 hours) to be held in the laboratory by the teacher are also foreseen.
Assessment methods
Assessment (at the end of the course) is carried out by oral examination, which will include i) questions to assess the knowledge and understanding of the course topics and ii) questions designed to assess the ability of transferring the acquired skills to case studies. Also the knowledge acquired during the practical lessons will be assessed.
A single final mark will be awarded on the following criteria: i) clarity of the answers, ii) ability to summarize, evaluate and establish relationships between topics, iii) independence of the judgment and iv) the ability of reworking.
Teaching tools
Course topics will be presented using Power Point presentation and at the end of each lesson a paper copy will be distributed directly to the students.
Office hours
See the website of Youry Pii