Università Roma Tre

The course will introduce the concept of quality as compliance to previously defined intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics. Quality can therefore be considered under different angles (technological, organoleptic, hygienic, nutritional, functional, ethic, commercial) according to product final destination and market requirements. It consequently must be planned at the beginning of production cycles. The concept of sustainable diets, also in relationship with sustainable food and agriculture systems and biodiversity, will be presented. The factors that shape product quality during the production process will be subsequently discussed, including plant variety, soil, light, climate, land characteristics, distance from market, agricultural practices, storing, processing, linkage to the territory and its cultural heritage, as well as the possible interventions to obtain the desired product quality and the methods to recognize it. The course will then illustrate the control and certification systems of quality (ISO 9000 e 14000, SA, Fair Trade, IFOAM, etc.); geographical indications (PDO, DOC, PGI, TSG, GI); and biochemical and organoleptic characteristics (sensorial tests). The curriculum will be completed by case studies on quality of field crops (bread and durum wheat, other cereals, potatoes, pulses, tomatoes, leaf and fruit vegetables) and horticultural crops (table and wine grapes, olive, hazelnuts and other nuts, stone and pome fruits, coffee, cocoa, berries).

Since no reference texts are available to be recommended to the students, the teaching will be based on lectures that involve the active participation of the students.
The teaching materials produced (series of slides, notes, etc.) will be made available to the students.

The course will concern the concept of quality in the primary productions as well as the methods of environmentally friendly productions. In particular, we will illustrate the knowledge on the state of the art of the fruit trees productive cycle and the main agronomic techniques of orchard environmentally friendly management. Particular attention will be paid to the knowledge of the fruits, their biochemical composition, and qualitative traits both as a fresh or transformed commodities in the main economically relevant fruit species (apple, pear, peach , apricot, cherry, dried fruits, Citrus spp). Such knowledge is necessary to appreciate the orchard management choices with reference to the economic destination of the products (consumption or industrial transformation). The student will be able to perform a critical evaluation of the agronomic techniques to obtaining high quality fruit productions in the maximum of the environmental respect.

1)Manuale di ortofrutticoltura - a cura di Sansavini S. e Ranalli P. Edagricole il sole 24 ore. Limitatamente alla parte di frutticoltura;
2) Il manuale del biologico a cura di Caccioni D e Colombo L, 2012. Edagricole 592 pag (relativamente a frutticoltura generale e speciale);
3)Sussidi didattici distribuiti a lezione