Educational Offer - Degree Courses

«Back
Academic year 2022/2023
Master's Degree (MSc) on AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES
VEGETABLE CROPS

Coordinator Prof. Pietro Columba
Class of Master's Degree (MSc) on Agricultural sciences (LM-69)
2 years
PALERMO
Free access
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Science
Course Code
2059

Course info
The degree Course provides graduates of a deepening of professional training in the agricultural sector. The course is aimed at improving the technical and scientific expertise for the design, management and control of productive agricultural systems, with traits of sustainability and multi-functionality; the consolidation of the professional and scientific skills in the field of entrepreneurship and agricultural management and development of quality products and processes, and in the field of European policies, markets, and investment evaluation; the expansion of the expertise in the design and management of parks and gardens and technical, sports and recreation green areas in urban and suburban environments. Graduates of this Course acquire specific professional training in the following areas: - Propagation, production and protection of plants, shrubs, industrial and officinal herbaceous crops, trees, vegetables and flowers; - Landscape analysis, design, implementation and management of parks, gardens and public and private green areas at large, in urban and suburban environments; - Activation of business and supply chain initiatives related to the upgrading of products with specific(typical, biological, historical, etc.) quality characteristics, as well as the ability to relate with the socio-economic system through forms of integration and coordination of the productive and organizational activities. The educational programme enable graduates to: - Acquire an adequate cultural background to carry out basic and applied research and experimentation, and to develop and promote scientific and technological innovations; - Acquire the skills to plan, design, maintain and enhance agricultural production systems and environmental and landscape resources also for recreational and sports purposes; - Acquire command of the scientific methods of investigation in crop production, enabling them to intervene in problem solving on specific systems and processes, through direct field surveys, laboratory determinations, processing and interpretation of data; - Have in-depth expertise to design, build and Certify agro-food systems, to design and manage parks, gardens, sports and recreation areas, in relation to technical means, machinery and mechanical equipment; - Pursue the qualitative and quantitative improvement of plant and animal production through the genetic selection, nursery management, design of cropping systems, the defence against biotic and abiotic agents, the adoption of rational and innovative techniques and technologies; - Possess the dialectical skills to discuss the technical and scientific aspects in inter-professional relations with specialists of the same or other sectors, and to disseminate to non-specialists farmers their technical convictions; - Acquire skills in the field of international agricultural policy, market and marketing, investment evaluation, as well as of the technical and economic aspects of the development of products through the adoption of quality and safety systems, in relation also to the sociological roots of production and consumption behaviours. The educational activities consist of lectures, laboratory and field exercises and mid-term tests. The expected time for obtaining the Degree is two academic years. To achieve the Degree, students must have earned 120 university credits (CFU). The Degree Course program consists of 11 required courses and one elective course, plus the practical application internship at accredited facilities and the final examination with the preparation and discussion of a thesis on Course-specific issues. The elective credits may be acquired, in accordance with article 10, paragraph 5, letter a) of the Ministerial Decree 270/04, and with the Course and University regulation, among all the subjects provided in the University of Palermo, if consistent with the educational objectives of the course. At the end of the course students will be awarded the title of “Dottore Magistrale in Scienze della produzione e delle tecnologie agrarie" and, after passing the national professional qualification exam, they may register in Section A (Senior Agronomist) of the “Albo professionale dell'Ordine dei Dottori Agronomi e Forestali”.* *Italian Professional Board
Profile: FRUIT TREE CROP TECHNICIAN Functions: Graduate Experts in the design and management of plants for the production of fruit. They may enrol in Section A of the “Albo Professionale dei Dottori Agronomi e Forestali”* Skills: Ability to plan and conduct agronomic production systems typical of the Mediterranean tropical and subtropical fruit, wine, olive and citrus crops. Ability to apply integrated management/defensive or environment-friendly models. Quality control on the supply chain. Management of post-harvest and market positioning. Professional opportunities: Self-employment, research, public and private institutions, farms, technical assistance. Profile: HERBACEOUS AND HORTICULTURAL FIELD SCALE CROPS TECHNICIAN Functions: These graduate technicians are experts in the design and operation of plants for the production of vegetable-flower, cereal, fodder (referring also to livestock systems), medicinal and industrial crops. They may enrol in Section A of the “Albo Professionale dei Dottori Agronomi e Forestali”. Skills: Agronomic planning and management of local productive systems of annual, biennial and perennial open field crops. Ability to apply farming and integrated pest management models. Understanding of agro-meteorological models. Professional opportunities: Self-employment, research, public and private institutions, farms, technical assistance. Profile: GREEN AREA DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT TECHNICIAN Functions: These graduate technicians are experts in the design, construction and redevelopment of green spaces in urban and suburban environments. They may enrol in Section A of the “Albo Professionale dei Dottori Agronomi e Forestali”. Skills: Design, implementation and management of parks, gardens and technical, sports and recreation, public and private green areas at large, in urban and suburban environments. Knowledge of the interaction between urban environment and ornamental plants as environmental hygiene machines. Techniques of restoration and conservation of gardens and parks. Professional opportunities: Self-employment, research, public and private green areas, farms, technical assistance. Profile: LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS TECHNICIAN Functions: The technicians in landscape analysis are graduate experts with technical expertise in agricultural sciences and landscape architecture. They may enrol in Section A of the “Albo Professionale dei Dottori Agronomi e Forestali”. Skills: Understanding of the different scales of the landscape. Application of specific design models, restoration and reconstruction of the plant landscape. Ecological analysis of the urban and suburban plant landscape. Professional opportunities: Self-employment, research, public and private green areas, farms, technical assistance. *Italian Professional Board
The final examination consists of the presentation of a thesis, prepared in an original way, under the guidance of a supervisor. The final work, which must have characteristics of originality, can be of experimental, theoretical or design type, or be a short essay on a single or multi-disciplinary theme. For particular subjects, the dissertation might also include a multimedia product. The paper can be written in a European language other than Italian. The final work, or part of it, can be also carried out at other public and/or private Italian or foreign institutions and companies accredited by the University of Palermo.

course outline
Teachings first year
credits Term Val. Area Scientific sector
03437 - FLORICULTURE Details MONCADA (PA) 6.0 1 V B AGR/04
15399 - EVERGREEN WOODY PLANTS - INTEGRATED COURSE Details CARUSO (PO) 12.0 1 V
OLIVE GROWING CARUSO (PO) 6.0 B AGR/03
CITRUS FRUIT GROWING LO BIANCO (PO) 6.0 B AGR/03
15477 - POLICY AND MARKETING OF THE AGRO-FOOD SYSTEM Details ALTAMORE (PA) 9.0 1 V B AGR/01
01102 - WINE GROWING Details DI LORENZO (PO) 6.0 2 V B AGR/03
16061 - SEED PRODUCTION AND GENETIC IMPROVEMENT - INTEGRATED COURSE Details AMATO (PO) 9.0 2 V
GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SPECIES AMATO (PO) 3.0 C AGR/07
SEED PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGIES AMATO (PO) 6.0 B AGR/02
18635 - INDUSTRIAL AND OFFICINAL HERBACEOUS CROPS Details CARRUBBA (PA) 9.0 2 V B AGR/02
19948 - FRUIT FARMING Details INGLESE (PO) 6.0 2 V B AGR/03
Free subjects (suggested) 8.0 D
Teachings second year
credits Term Val. Area Scientific sector
04011 - IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE Details ALAGNA (RD) 6.0 1 V C AGR/08
12638 - MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT FOR AGRICULTURE Details VALLONE (PA) 6.0 1 V C AGR/09
14184 - INTERNSHIP 12.0 1 G F
16062 - HORTICULTURAL SYSTEMS Details LA BELLA (PO) 6.0 1 V B AGR/04
04677 - ENGLISH LANGUAGE Details 6.0 2 G F
05917 - FINAL EXAMINATION 10.0 2 G E
13948 - DEFENCE OF PLANT PRODUCTIONS - INTEGRATED COURSE Details TSOLAKIS (PA) 9.0 2 V
ACAROLOGY AND INTEGRATED DEFENCE TSOLAKIS (PA) 6.0 B AGR/11
INTEGRATED PHYTOPATIES CONTROL BELLA (PA) 3.0 C AGR/12
Elective activities
Free subjects (suggested) credits Term Val. Area Scientific sector
20941 - AGROMETEREOLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY Details LETO (PO) 3.0 2 V D AGR/02
21860 - PLANT FERTILISATION AND NUTRITION Details LAUDICINA (PO) 3.0 2 V D AGR/13
22393 - CAD AND GIS TECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURAL PROCESS MANAGEMENT Details ORLANDO (PA) 6.0 2 V D AGR/09
Explaination
Term Term/Semester
Val. Valutation: V = mark in 30/30, G = note
(*) Teaching attended in english
Go to top