Degree Course: Seed Production and Nursery Management Syllabus for A.Y. 2022/2023  

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Students will have to demonstrate that they have acquired a good level of knowledge on aspects of plant systematics, on the form, structure and functions of plants, on the fundamental physiological processes in plants and on the relationships between plants and the environment.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Students will have to demonstrate that they are able to use the acquired knowledge of botany and plant physiology for applications in agriculture, with reference to aspects related to the plant/growth environment relationships to be able to interpret the physiological needs of plants in natural or anthropized environments with reference to cultivation in the field and in a controlled environment
MAKING JUDGEMENTS
The theoretical and practical skills acquired will allow the student to evaluate how to manage production systems in relation to botany and plant physiology and to cultivation conditions in a changing environment that continually generates new management challenges.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Students must demonstrate that they have acquired the ability to evaluate whether the solution of practical problems requires the acquisition of knowledge not provided by the course and must be able to access scientific-technical sources that allow them to acquire new knowledge useful for solving problems unapproached before.
LEARNING SKILLS
Students must demonstrate that they have acquired the ability to illustrate relevant aspects of the botany and plant physiology of species of interest in relation to their use in activities related to the profession.

Chimica generale (3CFU)

Other objectives are the acquisition of a high degree of autonomy in reading and interpreting simple chemical formulas and reactions, in managing the principles that regulate the foundations of chemical reactivity and the ability to communicate the concepts acquired, using appropriate terminology.
The course aims to provide students with the tools for a basic understanding of the structure of matter and chemical phenomena, both from a qualitative and quantitative point of view.
Knowledge and understanding. Provide a basic knowledge of the structure, nomenclature, and properties of the main chemical compounds.
Applied knowledge and understanding. Develop the ability to connect the topics of the course and to also be able to explain phenomena related to everyday life problems
Autonomy of judgment. Develop the ability to analyze data, interpret them and solve exercises.
Learning skills. Develop the ability to describe the topics covered with propriety of language, clarity of exposition, ability to summarize, critical sense.
Ability to learn. Learn the tools to use for problem solving.


Chimica organica (3 CFU)

The course is structured to provide students with a basic knowledge of Organic Chemistryto achieve the following educational objectives:
Knowledge and understanding. Provide a basic understanding of the structure, nomenclature, properties and reactivity of the main compounds.
Applying knowledge and understanding. Develop the ability to connect the topics of the course and also be able to explain phenomena related to problems of everyday life.
Making judgements. Develop the ability to analyze data, interpret and solve the exercises.
Communication skills. Develop the ability to describe course topics with language properties, clarity, synthesis skills and critical meaning.
Learning skills. Learn the tools to use forsolving exercises.

The course aims to provide technical information on the various types of substrates used in floriculture. For each substrate (traditional or innovative) will be reported physical and chemical characteristics, properties and other aspects of interest. Students will be able to learn and acquire knowledge about the most widely used substrates, thus becoming capable of inserting themselves within the production chain. At the end of the course they will have the ability to apply the acquired knowledge in different production contests (applying knowledge and understanding), in autonomy and making judgements (making judgements). The course will focus on improving learning and communication skills in various professional contexts. The students will acquire the ability to promote his/her own self-updating (learning skills).

Modulo di Microbiologia

The course aims to provide basic knowledge for microbiology and some technical informations on microbiological management of seed, soil and substrates. The main microbiological traits of some relevant substrates will be specifically presented and the application of beneficial microrganisms on substrates will be discussed.
Students will be able to acquire knowledge, skills, and judgmentin different production contests and for nursery. Additional objectives include improving learning abilities and communication skills, specifically the ability to present topics related to the microbiology of interface plant-soilsand substrates using appropriate terminology.


Modulo di Substrati

The courseaims to introduce the organic, inorganic and syntheticsubstratesector. Students willlearn and acquire knowledge about the requirementsthatcondition the choice of a substrate, the chemical and physicalcharacteristics of substrates, and the mainsubstratesused in horticulture. At the end of the course, studentswill be able to apply the acquired knowledge in different production realities (applying knowledge and understanding), independently and with adequatecriticalability (making judgements). The coursewillpayattention to improvingcommunication skills (communication skills) in variousprofessionalcontexts. Students willacquire skills to promotetheirown self-improvement (learning skills).

English level B1
At this level you can understand:

Main points on common topics at work, school, or traveling

General and specific details given clear speech

Factual texts on subjects of interest

Modulo di Sensori, trasduttori, plc e datalogger
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Students will acquire a thorough understanding of the fundamental concepts and technologies in precision agriculture and livestock farming, including sensor systems, microcontrollers, and automation systems.
They will understand how digital technologies impact the management of agricultural and livestock activities and the benefits of implementing these technologies.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Students will learn to apply acquired knowledge in practical settings, using sensors and automation systems to improve the efficiency of agricultural and livestock operations.
They will be able to design and implement precision agriculture solutions tailored to the specific needs of different production contexts.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS
Students will develop the ability to critically evaluate available technological solutions, selecting the most appropriate ones to optimize business operations.
They will be capable of identifying and managing technical non-conformities within agricultural and livestock systems.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Students will gain communication skills that enable them to present ideas and projects clearly and effectively to colleagues and external stakeholders.
They will be able to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and adapt their communication to different professional contexts.
LEARNING SKILLS
Students will develop the ability to learn independently, continuously updating themselves on technological innovations in the agricultural and livestock sectors.
They will be encouraged to participate in work groups and develop research projects on specific topics, thus fostering active and continuous learning.


Modulo di Elaborazione dati
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The student will acquire the basic knowledge useful for setting up: - plans for the collection of data in the farm, under the field conditions and from available databases (e.g. climate data); - dataset for collecting and organizing data; - the processing of data collected through the use of software (e.g. Excel).
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The student will have the opportunity to apply knowledge in a working environment, with an understanding of technical terms and the ability to manage data and interact with other professional figures (Agronomists, Nutritionists, Veterinarians).
MAKING JUDGEMENTS
The student will have the ability to independently develop their own assessments regarding the collection and management of data and datasets.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Ability to work in a team and relate.
LEARNING SKILLS
Learning will also be verified through work groups on specific topics.

TRAINING OBJECTIVES: The teaching will be oriented towards solving problems, analyzing and assessing risks, planning suitable prevention and protection interventions, paying attention to in-depth analysis based on the different levels of risk.

EXPECTED LEARNING RESULTS

1) Knowledge and understanding (knowledge and understanding):
It will allow the acquisition of knowledge / skills to: - identify the dangers and assess the risks present in the workplace, including ergonomic and work-related stress risks; - identify the specific prevention and protection measures for the sector, including PPE, with reference to the specific nature of the risk and the work activity; - help identify adequate technical, organizational and procedural safety solutions for each type of risk.
2) Applying knowledge and understanding; possibility to apply knowledge in all work environments, with understanding of the technical and regulatory terms of workplace safety. Furthermore, ability to manage both training projects and technical assessments.
3) Autonomy of judgment (making judgments); Understanding if the technical and / or legislative settings have been carried out in a workmanlike manner within the company, and knowing how to manage the non-conformities present both from a technical and legal point of view.
4) Communication skills; Ability to relate also through the design of appropriate training courses.
5) Ability to learn (learning skills): verify learning also through work groups on specific topics.

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
- knowing the logic of post-embryonic development and the fundamental morphological characters. - To know and understand the biology and ethology of insects, with particular regard to phytophagous and beneficial insects
Applied knowledge and understanding
Teaching will enable knowledge and understanding to be applied, 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 at both the nursery and field level
- Identify the logic of agricultural production and develop appropriate entomological pest control systems
Autonomy of judgement
Teaching allows the development of autonomy of judgement at various levels, such as
- Hypothesizing the main phytophagous insects of greenhouses and open fields
- propose the most appropriate control strategies
Communication skills
Participating in lectures and exercises, 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.
Learning skills
Participating in the lectures and exercises, making independent use of the material made available will facilitate the consolidation of one's learning skills, enabling one to, for example
- stimulate an autonomous program of continuous knowledge updating.
- autonomously identify ways to acquire information from the experiential knowledge of farmers and nursery managers and the professional knowledge of agronomists
- identify and use the most useful sources of information for personal updating.

Knowledge and Understanding
The course aims to provide students with the theoretical knowledge, techniques and organizational instructions to be able to manage climate control and automation in protected crop structures.
In this context, students are expected to know the principles and criteria for the choice of green housetype, roofingmaterial and indoor environment control systems.
Applied Knowledge and Understanding
The courseaims to foster the student'sacquisition of such knowledge and understanding to be able to manageplantcultivation facilities in a protectedenvironment.
Autonomy in Judgment
The courseaims to developstudents' autonomy of judgement in terms of dealing with problemsrelated to plantcultivationstructures in a protectedenvironment.
Communication Skills
The studentisexpected to acquire a basic technical languagerelating to the topicscovered in the lectures and exercises, in order to be able to converse with professionals and experts in the field of protectedplantcultivation facilities.
Learning Skills
The courseisaimedatfostering the development of the necessary skills in the use of technology, suchas to ensure the student'sconstantupdating of knowledge useful for the performance of hisprofessional activity, with particularregard to the consultation of regulatory, legislative, technological, digital, methodological and experimentalinnovation sources in relation to structures for the cultivation of plants in protectedenvironments.

Knowledge and insight
The courseaims to provide the necessary information for understanding the theoretical and experimentalbases of classical and moderngenetics, with particularreference to: structure and function of the hereditarymaterial, flow of genetic information from DNA to proteins, chromosomalbases of heredity, inheritance of simple and complex traits,geneticvariabilityasthe basis for speciesevolution and geneticimprovement, objectives and specificmethods of breeding plants with differentreproductive systems.
Applying knowledge and insight
The coursetopicswill be coveredso to provide an understanding of:temporalevolution of scientificthoughtthat led to discoveries, value of intuition and experimentalverification, universality of the principles on whichbiologicalevolutionisbased, logical connection betweenstructure and function, transferability of principles and knowledge from model organisms to organisms of agriculturalinterest, importance of knowledge from otherdisciplinesthat are fundamental for the correctinterpretation of the results.
Judgement
Through the program, studentsacquire new knowledge thattheywill elaborate with the knowledge alreadyacquiredinotherfundamentaldisciplines,tocontextualize the importance of genetics in the evolution of life and themaintenance of species.
Communication
Communication skills will be stimulatedduring the lessons to make studentsunderstand the importance of using appropriate and specificlanguage in the presentation and the importance of comparing and verifying knowledge (betweenstudents and betweenstudents and teacher).
Learning skills
The courseaims to strengthen the foundations in genomics and relatedfundamentaldisciplines to enablestudents to continue in-depth and specialized studies with an improvedlevel of autonomy.

The course aims to provide the basic knowledge of seed technology and quality, and the full understanding of thetopics developed during lectures, for their application in the seed industry. Upon ending the course, students will be able to elaborate and solve the most common problems of seed supply chain. Particularly, students will be able to compare, choose, apply and plan simple procedures of seed selection, analysis, and quality improvement. Additional objectives are: the development of knowledge useful for future competences, skills, and judgment in the management of plant production, as well as the ability to communicate the acquired concepts with an appropriate terminology.

The courseisstructured to providestudents with a basic knowledge of mechanizationnecessary for the selection of agriculturalmachinery. Thisincludesfunctionalaspects, management, dimensioning, time and cost of agriculturaloperations in the seed and nursery fields.
In detail:
Knowledge and understanding skills. Basic knowledge of mechanicsapplied to machinery, operation of agriculturalmachinery, propulsion and transmission systems, and energy sources. Knowledge of the types of operating machines, technologies, equipment and the relatedoperations in seed and nursery. Knowledge of the techniques and parameters for selecting a machinery fleet according to the context.
Applied knowledge and understanding skills. Develop the ability to determine the operationalcontext, mechanical, technical, agronomic and economicparameters for the choice of tractors, operating machines and technologies, with theircombination and dimensioningaccording to the business context.
Autonomy of judgment. Develop the ability to analyze data and situations to evaluate machines and technologies with reference to the specificcontext.
Communication skills. Develop the ability to discuss on the topics covered and interact with stakeholders in agricultural mechanics with propriety of language, clarity, ability to summarize and critical sense.
Ability to learn. Learn the tools to gain autonomy and deepen aspects related to machines and technologies to be used for the improvement of various business contexts.

The course is structured to provide students with general both theoretical and practical knowledge of the main soil and substrate analyzes to achieve the following educational objectives:
Knowledge and understanding. Provide all the main physical and chemical analyzes of the soil and substrates on both a solid and liquid matrix will be taken into consideration and analyzed in detail, first with theoretical explanations and then with practical exercises in the laboratory.
Applying knowledge and understanding. Develop the ability to connectthe topics of the course.
Making judgements. Develop the ability to analyze data, interpret it and solve exercises.
Communication skills. Develop the ability to describe the topics covered with language skills, expository clarity, synthesis ability and critical sense.
Learning skills. Learn the tools and methodologies to use for carrying out laboratory analyzes and interpreting the results obtained.

The course is structured to provide students with general both theoretical and practical knowledge of the main soil and substrate analyzes to achieve the following educational objectives:
Knowledge and understanding. Provide all the main physical and chemical analyzes of the soil and substrates on both a solid and liquid matrix will be taken into consideration and analyzed in detail, first with theoretical explanations and then with practical exercises in the laboratory.
Applying knowledge and understanding. Develop the ability to connectthe topics of the course.
Making judgements. Develop the ability to analyze data, interpret it and solve exercises.
Communication skills. Develop the ability to describe the topics covered with language skills, expository clarity, synthesis ability and critical sense.
Learning skills. Learn the tools and methodologies to use for carrying out laboratory analyzes and interpreting the results obtained.

The aim of the course is to provide students with all the theoretical knowledge and practical skills for carrying out physical determinations of the soil. Another objective is to understand how and to what extent soil analysis and therefore knowledge of its characteristics can influence and improve its agronomic management.
Other objectives common to all modules are: ability to read and interpret an analysis sheet of a sample, be it soil or substrate; knowledge of the fundamental parameters for the physical and chemical characterization and classification of a soil or substrate; acquisition of the methods for carrying out a complete analysis of a soil or substrate sample from sampling to the drafting of the final report according to the methods reported in the Official Gazette.

The aim of the course is to provide students with all the theoretical knowledge and practical skills for carrying out physical determinations on substrates. Another objective is to understand how and to what extent these analysis and therefore the knowledge of the specific characteristics of the substrate in use can influence and improve first the choice and then the management of the same.
Other objectives common to all modules are: ability to read and interpret an analysis sheet of a sample, be it soil or substrate; knowledge of the fundamental parameters for the physical and chemical characterization and classification of a soil or substrate; acquisition of the methods for carrying out a complete analysis of a soil or substrate sample from sampling to the drafting of the final report according to the methods reported in the Official Gazette.

Modulo di entomologia

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
- knowing the logic of post-embryonic development and the fundamental morphological characters. - To know and understand the biology and ethology of insects, with particular regard to phytophagous and beneficial insects
Applied knowledge and understanding
Teaching will enable knowledge and understanding to be applied, 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 at both the nursery and field level
- Identify the logic of agricultural production and develop appropriate entomological pest control systems
Autonomy of judgement
Teaching allows the development of autonomy of judgement at various levels, such as
- Hypothesizing the main phytophagous insects of greenhouses and open fields
- propose the most appropriate control strategies
Communication skills
Participating in lectures and exercises, 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.
Learning skills
Participating in the lectures and exercises, making independent use of the material made available will facilitate the consolidation of one's learning skills, enabling one to, for example
- stimulate an autonomous program of continuous knowledge updating.
- autonomously identify ways to acquire information from the experiential knowledge of farmers and nursery managers and the professional knowledge of agronomists
- identify and use the most useful sources of information for personal updating.


Modulo di patologia vegetale

The courseincludesteaching the basics of plantpathology, understoodas a basis of microbiology, principles of diagnostics and phytoiatry, applied to seeds and crops in a protectedenvironment. Throughlectures, the studentwillobtain the preparatory knowledge for practical transfer in field and laboratory activities. Particularattentionwill be paid to certification and preventionas control techniques in the community, evaluatinglimits and applicationpotentialthrough the analysis of some case studies.
Knowledge and understanding
The coursewillprovidestudents with basic knowledge of plantpathologyapplied to seed production and conservation systems, and protectedcultivationenvironments. The studentwilllearn to decline the principles of plantpathology in particular production contextssuchas nurseries and structures for the propagation and maintenance of plantmaterial.
Applied knowledge and understanding
The studentwill be able to recognize the mainabiotic and biotechnologicaladversities of agricultural, ornamental and forestrycrops, evaluate the effectiveness of plantdisease control systems and suggest low environmental impact defense techniques.
Autonomy of judgment
The coursewillallow to develop the ability to evaluate the positive aspects and applicationlimits of the maincropprotection techniques in a protectedenvironment in relation to the severity and biologicalcharacteristics of plantpathogens.
Communication skills
Students will be able to explain with a technical-scientificlanguage the phytosanitaryproblemsthataffect nursery production contexts.
Learning skills
Students will be able to independentlydevelopevaluations and reasoning on the strategies for fighting and containingphytosanitaryproblems, apply the notionslearnedthrough case studies to all production contexts to define the approaches for recognizing, isolating and maintainingplantpathogens.