Degree Course: Seed Production and Nursery Management Syllabus for A.Y. 2020/2021  

The course program includes two parts. The first part introduces the basic concepts of General Chemistry, useful for understanding the second part of the course, devoted to Organic Chemistry, which is the predominant part of the course. The following are the topics covered.
(1) Elements of General Chemistry. Atoms. Isotopes. Orbitals. Electronic configuration of the elements. Periodic table. Periodic properties. Valence electrons. Rule of the octet. Chemical bonds. Moles. Avogadro's number. Balancing of chemical reactions. Chemical behaviour of the most common inorganic compounds. Stoichiometric calculations. Solutions. Units of concentration measurement. Dilution and mixing of solutions. Colligative properties. Theories of acids and bases. Strong and weak acids and bases. pH. Oxidation-reduction reactions.
(2) Organic Chemistry. Classes of compounds. Functional groups. Hybridization. Alkanes: structure, nomenclature and properties. Structural isomers. Conformational isomers. Unsaturated hydrocarbons. Alkenes: structure, nomenclature and properties. Cis-trans isomers, E/Z. Alkynes: structure, nomenclature and properties. Halogenated compounds: structure, nomenclature and properties. Aromatic hydrocarbons: structure, nomenclature and properties. Huckel rule. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Benzene derivatives. Aromatic heterocyclic compounds. Alcohols: structure, nomenclature and properties. Phenols: structure, nomenclature and properties. Ethers: structure, nomenclature and properties. Aldehydes and ketones: structure, nomenclature and properties. Carboxylic acids: structure, nomenclature and properties. Saturated and unsaturated fats. Dicarboxylic acids. Acidity. Amines: structure, nomenclature and properties. Heterocyclic amines. Basicity. Stereoisomerism. Enantiomers and diasteromers. Chiral carbon. Properties of chiral molecules. Notation R, S. Reactions in organic chemistry. Carbohydrates, lipids, aminoacids, peptides, proteins, purines, pyrimidines, nucleosides, nucleotides, nucleic acids: structure, nomenclature and properties.

It is recommended to study the topics of the course using the lecturer's slides, made available on the Moodle platform, deepening the topics and doing the exercises available in the textbooks. The proposed texts are as follows:
(1) Fondamenti di Chimica Generale - R. Chang, K. Goldsby, McGraw-Hill Education
(2) Chimica Organica Essenziale - B. Botta, Edi-ermes

Course: Botany and plant physiology (Botany 22 h; Plnt physiology 22 h Practice 4 ore)
Teacher Alberto Battistelli

BOTANY
Plants: diversity and role in ecosystems and agriculture
Evolution and classification.
The plant cells.
Ontogenetic cycle and reproduction in plants
Higher plant structure and tissues.
Plant organs: the leaf, the stem, and the root. The seed.

PRACTICE
Practical activities: optical microscopy, leaves and floral components.
Practical activities: agronomical experiments, crops structure, field analysis of physiological parameters.

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY.
Biophysics and biochemistry of photosynthesis
Structure and functions of the chloroplast.
Light and photosynthesis. The solar radiations, the pigments and light absorption.
The Calvin-Benson cycle. The photosynthetic product at the chloroplast level: starch synthesis. The photosynthetic products in the cytoplasm: the sucrose synthesis. Phloem transport, sink activity, starch, and sucrose catabolism, storage compound accumulation, source-sink relationships.
Photosynthesis in the environment: structure of the photosynthetic apparatus and the role of environment (adaptation and acclimation to light, CO2, temperature, and water availability. C3, C4 and CAM photosynthetic metabolism.
Plant and water relations.
Plant respiration.
Mineral nutrition.
The hormone regulation of plant life.
Light as a signal: photoreceptors, phytochrome, photomorphogenesis, photoperiodism.
Seed physiology and germination.

Ray F Evert Susan E Eichhorn
Biologia delle piante di Raven
Settima edizione italiana condotta sull' ottava edizione americana
Trad. di A. Virzo, V. Vona, R. Castaldo, A. Basile, C. Rigano, D. Rigano, R. Nazzaro, P. Caputo, A. Pollio, G. Siniscalco Gigliano, V. Spagnuolo
2013
Volume unico + ebook
Pagine: 944 ISBN: 9788808175045

DI SUPPORTO

Elementi di Fisiologia Vegetale
N. Rascio

EDISES
Formato copertina flessibile
Edizione II/2017
N. Pagine 582 / 4 colori
ISBN 9788879599207

MATHEMATICS

BASICS:
Sets, elements, membership, inclusion, intersection, union, difference, empty set. Relations, applications or functions, domain, codomain. Numerical sets, intervals, upper and lower endpoints. Natural numbers, relative integers, rational numbers, real numbers, imaginary numbers, complex numbers, logarithms, one-to-one correspondence with the points of a line.
EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES:
Basic concepts and elementary algebra overview, analytic geometry overview, equations and inequalities of first and second degree, exercises on the solution of equations and inequalities of second degree and systems of inequalities by analytical and graphical methods.
COORDINATES, TRIGONOMETRY:
Oriented lines, polar coordinates, cartesian coordinates, distance between two points. Unit circle, trigonometric functions, addition and subtraction formulas, duplication and bisection formulas, transformation between cartesian and polar coordinates.
ELEMENTS OF ENUMERATIVE COMBINATORICS:
Simple dispositions, permutations and combinations, binomial coefficients, properties and definitions.
MATRICES AND DETERMINANTS:
Definitions and properties of matrices, diagonal matrices, transpose matrix, inverse matrix. Determinant of a square matrix, Laplace theorems, Sarrus rule, general properties of determinants, minors and rank of a matrix.
Eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a square matrix.
SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS:
Overview on systems of linear equations, Rouché-Capelli theorem, Cramer theorem, systems of m equations in n unknowns, homogeneous systems.
ANALYTIC GEOMETRY OVERVIEW:
Cartesian plane, equation of a straight line, parallelism, orthogonality and intersection of straight lines. Circle, ellipse, hyperbola and parabola. General equation of conic sections.
REAL VARIABLE FUNCTIONS:
Trigonometric functions, composition of functions, inverse functions, inf and sup of a function, limits of a function, theorems about limits, uniqueness of limits theorem, permanence of sign theorem, squeeze theorem, limit of a sum, product, quotient, etc. of functions, notable limits.
CONTNUOUS FUNCTIONS:
Definitions and basic properties, continuity, Neper number, maximum and minimum, inverse function.
DERIVATIVES:
Definition and geometric interpretation of derivatives, operations on derivatives and differentiation rules, differentiation of trigonometric functions, differentiation of combined functions and inverse functions, differentiability and continuity, differential, higher derivatives, relative maxima and minima, asymptotes, concavity and convexity, inflection points, graphs of functions. Rolle, Cauchy, Lagrange, De L'Hopital theorems, indeterminate forms.
TRANSCENDENTAL FUNCTIONS:
Inverse trigonometric functions, logarithm function, exponential function, hyperbolic functions.
FUNCTIONS OF TWO VARIABLES:
Definitions, domain, limits and continuity, partial derivatives and higher partial derivatives. Hessian matrix. Brief notes on function of n variables.
INTEGRALS:
Indefinite integrals, definition and properties, relation between integrability e differentiability, notable integrals, definite integrals, calculation of areas. Double integrals.

ELEMENTS OF PHYSICS

Reality description: models, theories, laws and measurements; the international system of units; scalar quantities and vector quantities; sum and difference of vectors; decomposition of vectors along given directions; scalar product, cross product, mixed product.
KINEMATICS:
Basics. Motion of point particles. Coordinate systems. Linear velocity and acceleration. Uniform and non-uniform circular motion; angular velocity and acceleration.
DYNAMICS:
Newton laws (I, II e III) and their applications. Point particles dynamics. Friction forces. Work and kinetic energy. Conservative forces. Potential energy; energy conservation. Power. Non-conservative forces. Momentum and its conservation; collisions and their classification. Motion of rigid bodies and equilibrium conditions. Moment of inertia and angular momentum for rotations around a fixed axis; momentum of forces; second law of rigid body dynamics. Kinetic energy; rolling and the role of frictions. Work and power.
FLUIDS:
Hydrostatics and applications. Fluid dynamics: mass flow rate, conservation law of mass flow rate. Bernoulli theorem and applications. Real fluids: surface tension and capillarity.

"Lezioni di matematica generale" - Alvaro Marucci - Edizioni Sette Città, Viterbo

1. GENERAL ENTOMOLOGY

Generalities about insects; external morphology; nervous system and sense organs; digestive system; circulatory system; secretion and excretion system; reproductive system; pheromones; post-embryonic development; moults; metamorphoses; means of population control: biological, agronomic, cultural, physical, mechanical, chemical. Modern inorganic and organic active ingredients. Microbiological insecticides. Phytotoxicity; Penetration mode and mechanisms of action of insecticides; Selectivity; Human toxicity; Resistance; Legislation; Biological control; Intervention thresholds; Integrated control (IPM).

A.Pollini, 2002. Manuale di Entomologia Applicata. Ed agricole, Bologna.

General genetics:
- Introduction to genetics; biological diversity and role of organic macromolecules
- Structure of genetic material (nucleic acids) and DNA replication; chromosomes and chromatin
- Flow of genetic information from DNA to proteins: transcription and translation, genetic code
- Gene expression regulation
- Cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis
- Mendelian genetics and principles of trait inheritance: mono- and di-hybrid crosses, backcross, chi-square test
- Genetic linkage, recombination and genetic maps
- Mutations (point, chromosomal, genomic)
- Genetics of quantitative traits, continuous variability, genetic and phenotypic components of variability, basis of statistical analysis.
Plant breeding:
- Introduction, origin and evolution of cultivated species, exploitation of genetic biodiversity as a source of useful genes
- Methods to create new variability, inter- and intra-specific hybridization; interaction between genes, environment and phenotype
- Characterization of trait polymorphism, phenotypic and genotypic selection, marker assisted selection
- Reproductive systems and barriers of cultivated species
- Genetic structure of populations
- Methods of breeding autogamous crops
- Chromosome engineering for wheat breeding
- Methods of breeding allogamous crops, and vegetatively propagated crops
- Integrative platforms for plant breeding
- Exercises: visit to experimental fields

- Russell PJ: IGenetics: A Molecular Approach, Pearson Education, Inc.
- Barcaccia G, Falcinelli M: Genetica e Genomica. Vol. II. Miglioramento genetico. Liguori Editore S.r.l. (in Italian)

Elements of Technical Physics. Heat transmission: conduction, convection, radiation. Mollier's diagram of moist air. Psychrometric formulas. Solar radiation: U.V., visible, short, medium and long infrared. Models for calculating solar radiation. Transmittance to solar radiation of greenhouse roofing materials, the greenhouse effect, the choice of greenhouse roofing materials. The greenhouse covering materials: glass, rigid and flexible transparent plastic laminates, screens, sheets, nets. Types and construction features of greenhouses. The energy balance of greenhouses. Greenhouse air conditioning: systems for controlling temperature, relative humidity, light, CO2. Soilless cultivation systems. Computerized control and management systems. Legislative and environmental aspects.

Didactic material given by the teacher during the course
UNI-EN 13031-1 “Greenhouses: Design and Construction. Part 1: Commercial production greenhouses” Milano

Raw materials for growing substrates
Physical, chemical and biological fertility of growing media
Substrate analysis
Legal requirements for growing media

Zaccheo P., Cattivello C., I substrati di coltivazione, Edagricole, Bologna
Lesson notes;
Specific scientific papers will be suggested during the course.

Fungi, bacteria, spore forming bacteria. Microbial growth on substrata and on habitats plant related. Microbial interactions. Substrata microbiology. Microbiology of seeds, leaf and rhizosphere. Plant biostimolation in nursery using PGPR, fungi, pseudo-symbiosis. Management of inoculum. Ecotoxicology.

slides and litterature

During the course, the following aspects will be addressed:
- The importance of using high quality seeds in agriculture;
- Main features determining the seed value;
- Agronomic practices for seed production in some crops;
- Identification of crop seeds;
- Seed selection and conservation;
- Seed control and certification.

Ciriciofolo E., Benincasa P. 2017. Sementi: biologia, produzione e tecnologia. Edagricole

Fungi, virus and harmful bacteria on seeds at nursery productions
Phytoiatric concepts
active ingredients that can be used in conventional and organic crops
Agronomic-cultural practices to protect the seed-vivastic sector
Reference legislation
Study cases

Notes from the lessons
Websites and publications suggested by the teacher