02575 - Horticulture

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows the features and problems of the most important vegetable crops produced for market and for industrial processing. It has the basic knowledge of the physiology of vegetables. He learned the elements that affect the quality of the vegetables. He has developed the ability to find and evaluate scientific information on the physiological, agronomic and economic level. He is able to develop his own opinion on current issues related to the quality of both products and processes in the vegetable production chain.

Course contents

Prerequisites

The student who accesses this course has a good knowledge in basic subjects (physics, chemistry, biology and botany) and is skilled in agronomy, agro-meteorology, biochemistry, soil chemistry and the principles of horticulture that allow him/her to understand in depth the issues of both open field and greenhouse crops. These prerequisites are fully satisfied by the three-year bachelor in “sciences and technologies in agriculture and forestry” or similar. The knowledge of the English language facilitates the preparation of the student, as a part of the teaching material is in English.

Under the big theme of the innovations in Agriculture, the acquisition of a deep knowledge of the main vegetable crops, grown in open field and greenhouses, is a priority for the formation of a graduate in agricultural disciplines and for a modern agronomist. This will allow them to chose and guide more efficient and sustainable productive systems.

Program / Content

The course provides the study of vegetable crops through two teaching units (UD):

UD # 1) TOMATO as model crop: bio-systematic, origin, domestication and diffusion, biology of growth, biology of reproduction, physiology of nutrition, stress and production, quality of products for processing and for fresh market, post-harvest physiology and technology, breeding, cultivation in open air and in greenhouse, soilless cultivation techniques, plant disorders, diseases and pests, notes on production costs (total, 30 hours).

UD # 2) bio-systematic, biology and cultivation of umbellifereae (carrot), asteraceae (lettuce, chicory and artichoke), brassicaceae (cauliflower and cabbage), chenopodiaceae (spinach), cucurbitaceae (cucumber, melon and watermelon), fabaceae (bean, string bean and pea), liliacee (asparagus and onion) and solanaceae (potato, bell pepper and aubergine) (total, 30 hours).

Readings/Bibliography

The reference book is:

Pardossi A., Prosdocimi Gianquinto G., Santamaria P., Incrocci L. (editors), Orticoltura: Principi e pratica, Edagricole, Bologna, 2018. The study concerns the Parte Generale, chapters 2, 3, 11 and 12, and Parte speciale chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 and 21.

Furthermore, fundamental will be the use of material provided by the teacher and of lecture notes.

During the course, will be made available online a copy of the presentations made in the class.

For further information we recommend the following texts:

- AA.VV., Il pomodoro, Coltura & Cultura, Bayer CropScience, 2010.

- AA.VV., Le insalate, Coltura & Cultura - Bayer CropScience, 2011.

- AA.VV., La patata, Coltura & Cultura - Bayer CropScience, 2011.

- AA.VV., Il carciofo e il cardo, Coltura & Cultura - Bayer CropScience, 2009.

- Bianco V.V. e Pimpini F., Orticoltura, Patron, 1990.

- Baudoin W., Nono-Womdim R., Lutaladio N., Hodder A., Castilla N., Leonardi C., De Pascale S., Qaryouti M., Good Agricultural Practices for greenhouse vegetable crops: Principles for Mediterranean climate areas, FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper n° 217, FAO-UN, Roma, 2013 (***).

- Bosland P. e Votava E., Peppers: Vegetable and Spice Capsicums, CABI 2012.

- Brewster J., Onions and Other Vegetable Alliums, CABI, 2008.

- Dixon G., Vegetable Brassicas and Related Crucifers, CABI, 2006.

- Castilla N., Greenhouse Technology and Management, CABI, 2012.

-Heuvelink E., Tomatoes, CABI, 2005.

- Pimpini F. (coord.), Principi tecnico-agronomici della fertirrigazione e del fuorisuolo, Veneto Agricoltura, Padova, 2002 (***).

- Robinson R., Decker-Walters D., Cucurbits, CABI, 1997.

-Ryder E., Lettuce, Endive and Chicory, CABI, 1999.

-Rubatzky V., Quiros C., Simon P., Carrots and Related Vegetable Umbelliferae, CABI, 1999.

- Siviero P., Motton M.S., La coltivazione del pomodoro da mensa, Edizioni L'Informatore Agrario, 1995.

- Siviero P., Silvestri G., La coltivazione del pomodoro da industria, Edizioni L'Informatore Agrario, 1991.

- Siviero P., Gallerani M., La coltivazione del peperone, Edizioni L'Informatore Agrario, 1992.

- Siviero P., La coltivazione del melone, Edizioni L'Informatore Agrario, 1993.

- Tesi R., Orticoltura mediterranea sostenibile, Pàtron, 2010.

(***) e-books made available in PDF format by the teacher.

Teaching methods

At presence learning in class plus learning activity through field visits and seminars on special topics.

Assessment methods

The student preparation will be assessed through a final written test consisting of a quiz test, which involves 60 closed questions (51 of 1st level and 9 of 2nd level)  chosen within the 2 teaching units and obtained from the chapters 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 and 21 of the reference text and from the lecture notes. For each question there are 4-5 or sometimes 3 answer options. In any case, the right option is only one. For each correct answer a score of 1 is assigned, for each wrong answer or in the absence of an answer there is no penalty. The overall score is obtained as follows:
1) if student answers a number of questions less than or equal to 32, the mark is equal to the algebraic sum of the individual scores (e.g. 20 questions answered with 20 correct answers, mark = 20; 20 questions answered with 18 correct answers, mark = 18; 32 questions answered with 20 correct answers, mark = 20; 32 questions answered with 18 correct answers, mark = 18; 32 questions answered with 30 correct answers, mark = 30; 32 questions answered with 32 correct answers, mark = 30 cum laude);
2) if student answers more than 32 questions, the mark is calculated proportionally to the number of the given answers (e.g. 50 questions answered with 20 correct answers, mark = 20/50 * 32 = 12.8 (13 , thirteen); 50 questions answered with 29 correct answers, mark = 29/50 * 32 = 18.6 (19, nineteen); 50 questions answered with 40 correct answers, mark = 40/50 * 32 = 25.6 (26, twenty six); 50 questions answered with 47 correct answers, mark = 47/50 * 32 = 30.1 (30, thirty); 50 questions answered with 50 correct answers, mark = 50/50 * 32 = 32 (30 cum laude).
The maximum duration for the written test is 60 minutes.

Additional points can be added to the test score to students participating in group work (optional) with the following option: 1) group work (max 3 students / group) for the presentation (PPT presentation) of a scientific paper chosen by the literature and suggested by the teacher (max 2 points); 2) group work (max 10 students / group) for the presentation (PPT presentation and word document) of a report concerning the technical and economic analysis (including analysis of production costs and SWOT analysis) of one or more crops or activities chosen together with the teacher during technical visits to horticultural farms (max 4 points).

Group works must be presented in the classroom before the end of the lessons (time to be arranged with the teacher) and in the presence of the whole class.

Cum laude evaluation is given to students who have obtained an overall score equal to or greater than 31 points.

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Teaching tools

PC, projector, PowerPoint presentations, video / DVD.

Office hours

See the website of Giorgio Prosdocimi Gianquinto