The course will illustrate how the peculiarities of numerous Italian plant food products, often outdated, are related to the response of the entire plant, and / or its edible organs, to changes in temperature, as shots of cold or heat, drought and alterations in organic / inorganic compounds in the soil, illustrating the relative biotechnology investigation, and possible enhancement in value.
At this end will be shown:
- Techniques for the maintenance and propagation of native species, obsolete species/varieties, and new cultivars, aimed to enhance their useful traits in unconventional breeding programs (e.g., grape, olive tree and rice).
- Techniques for the morpho-anatomy of ovaries and fruits for characterizing their developmental phases, and the related accumulation phases of nutrients in the pulp and seeds.
- Techniques for the production of somatic embryos and synthetic seeds for maintenance and large-scale preservation of agri-business cultivars recalcitrant in sexual reproduction.
- Cultivation techniques for the optimization of sustainable production through the recovery of waste in wine and olive oil production chains, to obtain natural products to use in integrated agriculture programs.
- Biotechnologies to improve seed germination and plant growth, to obtain products free of pesticide residues and / or contaminants in an integrated crop management.
- Use of the mechanisms of self-incompatibility and biotechnological apomixis, aimed at the production of seedless fruits, to increase their economic value.
- Biotechnology for inducing hermaphroditism in male sterile species of agricultural interest to increase agricultural productivity (e.g., kiwifruit and cereals).

Piante Alimentari. Biologia. Composizione Chimica. Utilizzo. Seconda Edizione. Editore Piccin

Plants and Society (fifth edition). Levetin and McMahon

In vitro embryogenesis in higher plants. Humana Press

The teacher will also provide papers on specific topics and electronic supporting material.