79436 - Yield And Product Quality Management

Learning outcomes

The course will aim to improve the knowledge on the physiological responses of the plant to the main biotic interactions and stresses and on the effects of the cultural techniques and human inputs on these processes. This knowledge will allow to time and tailor the cultural techniques to shape the biotic interactions in order to increase the sustainability of crop production. Since a key parameter of sustainability is also the increase in crop quality and value, the course will also deal with these aspects. The student will learn the concept of fruit quality and the main genetic, cultural and environmental factors that affect it. Student will know the most important cultural techniques, the management of plant ecological interactions, the manipulation of plant physiology (e.g. by using bioregulators) able to influence fruit quality and ripening. Finally, traditional and innovative devices to determine internal fruit quality traits in fruits will be introduced.

Course contents

MODULE 1.

Frontal lessons (18 hours)

1. Fruit quality definition, factor affecting fruit quality (genetic, environmental and cultural aspect). 6 hours
2. Main cultural management practices affecting fruit quality (e.g. hormones and plant bioregulators). Fruit maturation and ripening. 6 hours
3. Methods to assess fruit quality (penetrometer, refractometer, titrator, Lugol test, colorimeter, NIRs, DA-Meter, Cherry-meter and Kiwi-Meter, electronic nose, NMR and NMI). Tools for predicting harvesting time, storage strategy. 6 hours

Lab Experiences and Practical Activities (12 hours)

1. Specific seminars with the "quality responsible" of the different cooperatives will be organized to give the student the possibility to understand the importance of the fruit quality and of the stage of ripening to fulfil the marketing expectations and to decide the better storage strategy to maintain the quality and avoid post-harvest diseases. Visits will be organized in the Cooperative packing house plans to give the students the possibility to observe the operations carried out to grade and select the fruits that will be send to different market and /or processing according the their quality characteristics. 3 hours
2. The devices that are normally used to define the fruit quality are recently evolving quite rapidly; most of them do not require the destruction of the fruit sample and several companies are involved in the creation and testing of these new devices. Specific seminars and visit to these companies will be organized to inform the student about the complexity of this operation and to be put in touch with practical aspects. 2 hours
3. Visit to fruit pack houses and cooperatives. 7 hours

MODULE 2

Frontal lessons (18 hours)

The biological interactions occurring in the agricultural ecosystem and on the methods to influence them in order to maximizing production efficiency and fruit quality. The basic concepts of agroecology will be introduced (e.g. biodiversity, resistance, resilience, …). The course will also focus on a holistic approach to manage the ecological interactions occurring between the plant and other organisms, human included, and on their effects on plant productivity and crop quality. The main topics the course will deal with are:

1. Overview of plant ecology and agroecosystem, 2 hours
2. Organisms in their Environments: the Evolutionary Backdrop, Conditions, Resources, 2 hours
3. The concept of niche, carrying capacity and constant yield: their application in the orchard management, 2hours
4. Communities and Ecosystems, Ecological Interactions and Species Interactions in the agroecosystem, 4 hours
5. Ecological Applications: Management of plant ecological interactions to maximize the efficiency of cultural management practices. 8 hours

Lab Experiences and Practical Activities (12 hours)

Exploiting the knowledge on plant ecological interactions (competition, symbiosis, predation/parasitism) for practical management:

1. Methods for studying plant ecological interactions at lab scale. 4 hours
2. Selection of biological control agents against plant disease (competition, symbiosis). 4 hours
3. Selection of possible crop biostimulant organisms (i.e. other plants) (symbiosis). 4 hours

Readings/Bibliography

Selected chapters from:

Connor D.J., Loomis R.S., Cassman K.G. Crop Ecology - Productivity and Management in Agricultural Systems (2^nd Ed). Cambridge University Press (2012). ISBN-10: 1139170163

Taiz L. and Zeiger E. Plant Physiology, 5th Edition ISBN-10: 0878938664 | Edition: Fifth

De Kok L.J., Hawkesford M. J. Plant Ecophysiology ISSN: 1572-5561

Park S. Nobel. Physicochemical and Environmental Plant Physiology ISBN: 978-0-12-520026-4

Handouts and selected papers

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, visit to orchards and processing plants. Seminars by experts. Seminars by students. Problem-solving activities in which students are asked to deal independently with a practical or research related problem similar to the "case of study" covered by the course. Laboratory and practical experiences

Assessment methods

Oral exam or review prepared by the student on a specific topic of the course.

1. Oral exam. For each module, the exam will consist on 3 questions, accounting for 10 points each. One of the question can be a problem solving activity related to case studies debated during the course. The question may include also the laboratory and practical experiences.
2. Review. The student can prepare a manuscript and/or a seminar on a topic chosen in agreement with the professor. The subject must be related with a specific topic of the course and should review the state-of-the art on that topic. The student will be guided, step-by-step, in the preparation of the elaborate and additional material will be provided to the student to achieve this goal. An example of the review prepared by student is published here: http://www.intechopen.com/books/abiotic-stress-in-plants-mechanisms-and-adaptations/emission-and-function-of-volatile-organic-compounds-in-response-to-abiotic-stress

Each Author was involved in a specific chapter of the review

During students presentations the teacher stimulate the discussion regarding major problems relative to Horticulture situation (point of strength and weakness) related and specific to the different geographical areas of student’s provenience.

Teaching tools

Power Point Presentation, lab and experimental fields

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Spinelli

See the website of Guglielmo Costa