The course aims to provide students with theoretical and practical knowledge regarding the protection of plants against the main entomological and phytopathological problems in the urban environment. It also aims to train professionals capable of effectively addressing and managing entomological and phytopathological problems in forest plants in the urban environment, promoting sustainable and innovative forest management practices.
Knowledge and understanding
Identification of pests and pathogens: the student should know the main groups of phytophagous insects and phytopathogenic microorganisms in the urban environment.
Ecology of pests: to know the biological cycles and ecology of the main plant pests and pathogens.
Symptomatology and diagnostics: recognising the symptoms of the main plant diseases and pest infestations.
Applying knowledge and understanding
Monitoring techniques: The student will have to implement specific monitoring and sampling techniques for the management of pest and pathogen populations in urban green areas.
Control methods: applying biological and integrated pest and pathogen control methods.
Making judgements
Environmental risk assessment: the student should be able to assess the environmental and health impact of different pest and disease control strategies in urban forests and urban furniture.
Critical analysis of methodologies: to critically analyse the different defence methodologies and their effectiveness in the context of sustainable urban green management.
Learning skills
Continuous updating: the student will have to develop the ability to continuously update on new techniques and strategies for plant protection.
Scientific research: to acquire the competences to carry out scientific research in the field of plant protection.
Communication skills
The student should be able to effectively communicate the notions learned during the theoretical and practical activities developed in the course.
He/she must be able to provide qualified technical consultancy for the integrated management of entomological and phytopathological problems in urban green areas.

The Urban Entomology part of this teaching that has the educational objectives of highlighting the main concepts of general entomology and relationships to the urban environment. Students will receive teachings in the split classroom and will be able to interact with the lecturer and all invited experts for seminar activities and during practicum activities. Students will perform hands-on actions with the description and management of case studies of urban plant defense from phytophagous insects. Students will also participate in specialized seminars with Italian entomologists and professionals. The activities will enable students to gain independent judgment in identifying critical entomological issues and formulating hypotheses for natural rebalancing. Teaching will enable students to acquire communication skills to provide practitioners with useful information for management in urban settings.
1 Knowledge and understanding skills
The teaching aims to develop students' knowledge and understanding skills, such as:
- Knowing and understanding the salient features of the entomological world in urban areas
- Knowing and understanding the biology and ethology of insects, with particular regard to phytophagous and beneficial insects
2) Applied knowledge and understanding
The teaching will enable knowledge and understanding to be applied, enabling, for example, - Recognize an insect down to family level.
- Apply population control systems according to the ethology of the phytophagous
- Develop manual skills in entomological management in urban areas
3) Making judgement
Teaching will enable autonomy of judgement to be developed at various levels, such as
- hypothesising the main phytophagous insects in the urban environment
- propose the most appropriate control strategies.
4) Communication skills
Participating in lectures and tutorials and making independent use of the material provided will facilitate the development and application of communication skills, such as
- provide a sufficient range of practical examples of the application of recognition and control systems
- using appropriate and up-to-date technical agronomic vocabulary.
5) Learning skills
Participating in lectures and exercises, making independent use of the material made available will facilitate the consolidation of one's learning skills, allowing, for example
- stimulate an autonomous program of continuous updating of knowledge.
- independently identify ways of acquiring information from the experiential knowledge of farmers and the professional knowledge of agronomists
- identify and utilize the most useful sources of information for personal updating. 

The educational objectives of this part of the course concern the understanding of the biology of the main phytopathogenic microorganisms and the processes that lead to the establishment of the disease, as well as the definition of the containment strategies to be adopted in the various cases, including those with a low environmental impact. Furthermore, it aims to raise awareness of the main factors influencing the spread of these pathogens, such as climate change, pathogen pollution and changes in plant management in general. Finally, students are guided to learn disease recognition techniques through the observation of symptoms, morphological and even microscopic characters of pathogens, and with the use of the most advanced diagnostic techniques.
The course pursues the following training objectives:
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Development of knowledge of the basic principles of plant pathology, Understanding of the modes of occurrence and spread of diseases in plant populations. Recognition and interpretation of plant symptomatology. Understanding of the main biological aspects of the different categories of biotic causative agents. Learning the main disease diagnosis strategies and how to apply them correctly.
APPLIED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Understanding of the experimental approaches to phytopathology in urban and peri-urban environments discussed in the lecture and their application to specific problems
AUTONOMY OF JUDGEMENT
Interpretation of phytopathological situations, in analogy with what was discussed in the lecture. Application of the knowledge acquired in the course to better manage different phytosanitary problems.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Use of the correct technical-scientific terminology in the description of the course topics. Ability to summarise and communicate effectively in the description of the course topics.
ABILITY TO LEARN
Knowledge of the course topics and the critical ability to understand the crucial aspects of a phytosanitary problem, how to deal with it and how to carry out the necessary investigations.

The course aims to develop knowledge on the main diseases of ornamental species and turf in urban environments. This knowledge will be integrated with the understanding, on a case-by-case basis, of the ways in which pathogens attack plants, the ability of plants to react, as well as the positive and negative interactions with humans and the urban environment. Another training objective will be the correct choice of diagnostic methodologies and the planning of correct prevention and control measures.
The course pursues the following educational objectives:
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Knowledge of the most important diseases of plants in urban and peri-urban areas and their causative agents. Knowledge of the correct techniques for their diagnosis and containment. Knowledge of the correct techniques for the safety of plants at risk..
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Understanding of experimental approaches to phytopathology in urban and peri-urban areas discussed in class and their applications to specific problems
MAKING JUDGMENTS
Interpretation of phytopathological issues in urban and peri-urban areas, in analogy with what was discussed in class.  Application of the knowledge acquired in the course to manage the various phytosanitary issues.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Use of the correct technical-scientific terminology in the description of the course topics. Synthesis skills and communicative effectiveness in the description of the course topics.
LEARNING SKILLS
Knowledge of the topics of the course and critical ability to understand the crucial aspects of a phytosanitary problem, how to deal with it, and how to carry out the necessary insights.