Crop production

Learning Objectives

• Agronomy and field crops

  Learning the basic knowledge and acquiring skills for the assessment of the influence of biological, environmental and agronomic factors on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of crop production, particularly with regard to field crops of interest to the Mediterranean environment whose product harvested can be destined to the direct consumption, or constitutes the raw material for various sectors of the food industry.

• Fruit tree crops

  The course aims to provide students with the knowledge necessary to assess the quality of fruit products. The topics treated are related to the fruit metabolism during the growth, maturation and storage processes.

Course Structure

• Agronomy and field crops

  Lessons. Hands-on activities.

• Fruit tree crops

  Lectures and tutorials

Detailed Course Content

• Agronomy and field crops

  Introduction to the study of agronomy and field crops.

  Agrosystem and its components: abiotic, merobiotic, biotic. Influence of anthropic activity on the agrosystem.

  Yield of crops and productive characteristics: useful product categories, production per unit area, harvest index, harvest time, destination and product quality. Classification of quality features for food destination. Factors conditioning the product quality.

  The role of natural factors (soil, atmosphere, plant) and agronomic management (choice of genotype, fertilization, irrigation, crop protection) on the quantitative and qualitative determinism of the crop production.

  Classification of field crops.

  Importance and perspectives of spreading, botanical classification, biology and requirements, goals of breeding activity, agronomic management, product features of the main species of interest for the Mediterranean environment: cereals and pseudocereals (wheat, barley, buckwheat, amaranth), pulses (faba beans, lentils, chickpeas), oilseeds (sunflower), vegetables (potato, globe artichoke).

• Fruit tree crops

  Botanical and commercial classification of fruits. Fruiting cycle and ripening physiology. Fruiting biology, ripening calendar, nutraceutical characteristics, main cultivars attitude for direct consumption and processing in citrus, olive, grape, pome and stone fruits, nuts, strawberry. Postharvest ripening and maturity indices of fruits.

Textbook Information

• Agronomy and field crops

  1. Giardini L. A come Agronomia. Pàtron Ed.

  2. Baldoni R., Giardini L. (coord.). Coltivazioni erbacee - Cereali e proteaginose. Pàtron Ed.

  3. Baldoni R., Giardini L. (coord.). Coltivazioni erbacee - Piante oleifere, da zucchero, da fibra, orticole ed aromatiche. Pàtron Ed.

  Sussidi didattici forniti dal docente (presentazioni ppt delle lezioni, dispense sugli argomenti trattati.

• Fruit tree crops
  1. Arboricoltura generale e speciale. Rolando Valli. Calderini Edagricole, 2001
  2. Arboricoltura generale. A cura di S. Sansavini. Patron editore, 2012
  3. Manuale di OrtoFrutticoltura. A cura di Sansavini S., Ranalli P. Edagricole, 2012
  4. Le piante dell’uomo. P. Viggiani, G. Pezzi. Edagricole, 2002
  5. Volumi "Coltura & Cultura". Bayer Cropscience (pero, vite, pesco, melo, ulivo, fragola, agrumi)
  6. Sussidi didattici forniti dal docente (dispense sugli argomenti trattati)