Crop production

Module Agronomy and field crops

The aim of this course is to provide the basic knowledge about the environmental, biological and agronomic factors that may affect the yield and quality of the main herbaceous crops in the Mediterranean environment. Particularly, at the end of the course, the students will acquire the following knowledge, ability and skills.

Knowledge and understanding skills

Students will acquire specific knowledge of the topics of the course, and will be able to know:

• Ecosystem and agro-ecosystem concepts;
• The role of natural factors (soil, atmosphere, plant) and agronomic management (cultivar choice, fertilization, irrigation, crop protection) on the quality of plant production;
• The classification of the qualitative characteristics for foodstuffs;
• The main aspects of the most important herbaceous crops for the Mediterranean environment.

Applying knowledge and understanding

Students will acquire the ability to apply their knowledge and understanding in order to demonstrate, with a professional approach, that they possess adequate skills to conceive and support arguments aimed at evaluating environmental factors and agronomic techniques capable of influencing the quality of the most important herbaceous crops for the Mediterranean environment.

Communication skills

The course will provide students with the appropriate technical language useful to describe the topics of the present course. At the end of the course, the students will be able to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions relating to topics of interest to the agri-food sector to specialists and non-specialists.

Judgement autonomy

Students will be provided with tools for the analysis of the relationships among environmental factors, agronomic management and quality characteristics of plant production. In particular, at the end of the course, students will be able to collect and interpret data and information aimed at identifying methods and tools for planning and quality management.

Learning skills

Students will develop, with specific reference to the contents of the course, learning skills that could allow them to continue their university studies in subsequent cycles with a high degree of autonomy.

Lessons (21 hours) and hands-on activities (42 hours) by case studies and/or seminars, group activities, etc. also on line.

If teaching is performed in mixed mode or remotely, specific changes to the program outlined in the Syllabus may need to be made​.

Information for students with disabilities and/or DSA
As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. It is also possible to ask the departmental contact of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Inclusion), in the person of professor Anna De Angelis.

Attendance is not compulsory, but recommended.

Active participation allows the student to more easily acquire the ability to link the various topics present in the course program, the ability to report examples and the technical language, which are also evaluated in the final oral examination.

• Contents of the course. Ecosystem and agroecosystem concepts.
• The agricultural plant production and the influence of the biotic and abiotic factors. The characteristics of production: product categories, yield, harvest index, harvest time, destination and product quality.
• Classification of the qualitative characteristics for foodstuffs. Role of natural factors (soil, atmosphere, plant) and agronomic management (cultivar choice, fertilization, irrigation, crop protection) on the quality of plant production.
• Main aspects (economic-agricultural significance, botanical characteristics, biology, environmental requirements), cultivation technique, product utilization and quality characteristics of the following herbaceous crops for the Mediterranean environment:
  • Cereals and pseudo-cereals (wheat, barley, buckwheat)
  • Leguminous crops (lentil, chickpea, bean, pea)
  • Sunflower
  • Open field crops (potato, globe artichoke)
  • Industrial crops (tomato)

1. Giardini L. A come Agronomia. Pàtron Ed.
2. Mosca G., Reyneri A. (coord.). Coltivazioni erbacee 1 – Cereali e colture industriali. Edagricole Ed.
3. Mosca G., Reyneri A. (coord.). Coltivazioni erbacee 2 – Aromatiche e officinali, orticole agroindustriali, foraggere e colture a fini ecosistemici ed energetici. Edagricole Ed.

Didactic materials provided by the professor (lecture notes, PowerPoint presentations, etc.) in the website http://studium.unict.it.

Oral exam. In particular, the achievement of the learning outcomes will be ascertained through an oral discussion with the student, during which the performance will be assessed in terms of the level of preparation achieved on the subjects of the discipline, argumentative and synthesis skills, clarity and language properties, with specific reference to technical terminology, as well as interdisciplinary connection skills and the degree of in-depth analysis. Verification of learning can also be done electronically.

The evaluation will be expressed according to the following scale:

• insufficient performance (<18). The student shows incomplete and superficial knowledge of the subjects of the discipline and lack of argumentative skills, does not express itself clearly and appropriately;
• sufficient performance (18 ÷ 20/30). The student has understood and demonstrates to know, albeit generically, the topics of the discipline, possesses satisfactory argumentative and expository skills, and language properties;
• fair performance (21 ÷ 23/30). The student shows a fairly good understanding and knowledge of the subjects of the discipline, as well as fairly good argumentative and expository skills and language properties;
• good performance (24 ÷ 26/30). The student shows a good understanding and knowledge of the topics of the discipline, as well as good argumentative and expository skills and language properties,
• optimal performance (27 ÷ 29/30) The student shows an optimal degree of understanding and knowledge of the subjects of the discipline, as well as optimal argumentative skills and interdisciplinary connection, optimal analytical and synthesis skills, clarity and language properties;
• excellent performance (30/30 ÷ 30/30 cum laude) The student shows full mastery of the subjects of the discipline, as well as excellent argumentative skills and interdisciplinary connection, clarity and confidence in presentation and language properties. Honors are given to the particularly deserving student, who will have shown specific interest in the topics of the discipline attested by a high degree of in-depth study.

• Classification of quality characteristics for herbaceous field crops with food end-uses
• Role of natural factors (soil, atmosphere, plant) on the quality characteristics of herbaceous field crops
• Role of agronomic management (genotype, fertilization, irrigation, crop protection) on the quality characteristics of herbaceous field crops
• Quality traits of wheat
• Quality traits of globe artichoke
• Quality traits of legume