Vegetable and flower crop

The course aims to provide an in-depth level of knowledge on the cultivation of the most representative vegetable and flower species of Italy.

Knowledge and understanding

The student will acquire the suitable preparation to organize and manage the production process of some “model” vegetable and floral crops in order to obtain appropriate results in terms of yields, product quality and sustainability of production processes.

Applying knowledge and understanding

At the end of the course, the student will be able to organize, thanks to the understanding of the plant requires needs and the interactions with cultivation techniques, the production process of vegetable and floral crops, taking into due account the qualitative and sustainability aspects of the production process itself.

Making judgements

In the elaboration of the cultivation protocols, the student will be able to independently make the appropriate biological and technical choices to manage the cultivation process. This ability is refined both during the lectures and exercises and through the development of a power point presentation on a topic chosen by the student.

Communication skills

The student will strengthen the technical language of horticulture, both in Italian and in English, to be able to discuss the biological and technical choices that are the basis of the cultivation protocols. The realization and presentation of the final project in power point will allow to refine the technical language and communication skills.

Learning skills

The student will be able to autonomously expand its knowledge on vegetable and flower crops by deepening the reference texts, consulting articles in specialized scientific journals and the insights offered by the seminars organized within the course.

The course takes place through classroom lectures, with the aid of a vidoeprojector, analysis of case studies, seminars and technical visits to significant farms in the area. If teaching is given in a mixed formula or remotely, necessary changes may be introduced to what was previously stated in order to comply with the provided and reported syllabus. Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it.

As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. It is also possible to ask the departmental contacts of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Inclusion - Services for Disabilities and/or DSAs), in the persons of professors Giovanna Tropea Garzia and Anna De Angelis.

Knowledge of crops with particular reference to biology, the requirements of the different cultivar groups.

Critical analysis of the most significant aspects of the cultivation process for the principal species in terms of botanical families, morpho-biometric characteristics, type of products, the most appropriate technical practices.

In detail the crops analyzed, like case study, are: Fam. Alliaceae: onion; Fam. Apiaceae: carrot; Fam. Asteraceae: lettuce; Fam. Brassicaceae: cauliflower; Fam. Cucurbitaceae: watermelon; Fam. Fabaceae: haricot; Cut flower: chrysanthemum and bulbous plants; Flowering pot plants: bedding plants; Foliage plants.

Note and schemes of the lessons provided by the teacher. 

Rubatzky, V. E., Yamaguchi, M., 2012. World vegetables: principles, production, and nutritive values. Springer Science & Business Media.

Accati Garibaldi E., 1993. Trattato di floricoltura. Edagricole, Bologna. 
Bianco V.V., Pimpini F., 1990. Orticoltura. Pàtron Editore, Bologna. 
Dole J.M., Wilkins H.F., 1999. Floriculture. Principles and species. Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
Tesi R., 2010. Agricoltura mediterranea sostenibile. Patron Edit., Bologna.

The exam consists of two multiple choice tests (which can take place during the course, recommended choice, or at the end of the course) to evaluate the degree of knowledge of the program carried out during the lessons and in an oral test (subject to passing the tests), which consists in the presentation of a power point lasting about 10 minutes on a topic chosen by the candidate relating to the course program. This will allow to evaluate the candidate's autonomy, the ability to synthesize, analyse and organize information.

1) What are the peculiar characteristics of the plant species of a certain family of vegetable plants?

2) What are the relationships between the biological characteristics of a vegetable crop and the cultivation technique adopted?