Food Protection
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide students with the necessary knowledge to identify the main pests infesting foodstuffs and to apply the correct integrated control strategies to limit their development and spread. The course also aims to provide students with the fundamental knowledge related to the problems arising in the post-harvest phase from
contamination of products and vegetable products by fungi and bacteria and their diagnosis in order to learn how to approach the problems related to the pest and diseases management of the products during the production and conservation phases.
contamination of products and vegetable products by fungi and bacteria and their diagnosis in order to learn how to approach the problems related to the pest and diseases management of the products during the production and conservation phases.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course the students will be able to carry out and/or suggest the control strategies for the protection of foodstuffs, production and storage environments from the attack of the most common pests. At the end of the course, the student will also be able
to recognize the main symptoms caused by biotic agents in post-harvest and to identify the most frequent pathogens, in order to approach the problems related to the pest and diseases management.
to recognize the main symptoms caused by biotic agents in post-harvest and to identify the most frequent pathogens, in order to approach the problems related to the pest and diseases management.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Acquisition of knowledge referring the main issues of food pest control in processing and storage environments. Aspects of arthropod success. Insect morphology: tegument, head, chest, abdomen. Muscular, nervous, digestive, respiratory, circulatory, excretory, secretory, reproductive system. Postembryonic development. Biology of stored-product insects: Zygentoma (Thysanura), Psocoptera, Blattodea, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera (Pyralidae, Tinedae, Gelechidae), Diptera (Muscidae, Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae, Piophilidae, Drosophylidae), Coleoptera (Cleridae, Curculionidae, Bostrychidae, Anobiidae, Silvanidae, Bruchidae, Tenebrionidae, Dermestidae), Imenoptera: (Formicidae, Vespidae, Apidae). Mites: features of morphology, anatomy and post-embryonic development. Prevention: environment, machinery, cleaning. Visual monitoring and monitoring with trap devices baited with food, light, pheromone. How to use monitoring data. Physical control methods: controlled atmospheres, low and high temperatures, entoleter, inert dusts, vacuum. Mating disruption. Insecticides: formulations, toxicity, knockdown effect, persistence, pyrethrum and pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, insect growth regulators and fumigants.
Rodents: morphology, biology and ethology of Mus musculus, Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus. Direct and indirect damages. Prevention and monitoring. Species detection, mechanical and chemical methods of control. Legislative references low (283/1962 art.5), standard UNI11381:2010.
As regards the part relating to plant pathology, the course aims to provide fundamental knowledge on post-harvest alterations of plant products, both of abiotic and biotic origin, and on the strategies available for their control. In particular, the topics covered during the lessons are listed below. Respiration, ripening and post-harvest life of plant products. Hints of plant pathology: harmfulness of plant diseases, concept of disease and damage, economic importance of post-harvest diseases, classification of diseases, disease cycle. Host-pathogen interaction: pathogenic mechanisms, host defense mechanisms (pre- and post-infection barriers), physiological and biochemical changes in disease development. Factors influencing the development of post-harvest diseases: host-pathogen specificity, host susceptibility, post-harvest conditions, cultivation techniques, post-harvest conditions, stage of maturation and development, senescence, wounds, physiological stresses. Causes and physiopathological mechanisms of post-harvest losses: losses from physiological changes, damages caused by cooling and from abnormal composition of the atmosphere (1 CFU).General characteristics of phytopathogenic agents and the diseases they can cause. Phytopathogenic bacteria: the bacterial cell; the penetration of the pathogen into host tissues; colonization of the plant; the mechanisms of pathogenesis and related symptoms; the phase of evasion of the pathogen, ways of diffusion and inoculum survival; principles of defense against bacteriosis; bases of the systematics of phytopathogenic bacteria. Phytopathogenic fungi: structure and vegetative organization of fungi; fungal hypha, hyphal modifications and aggregations; the latency and germination of spores; growth of fungi and factors that can influence these life stages of phytopathogenic forms; modes of sexual and asexual reproduction of fungi and their relationships with the fungal taxonomy; examples of life cycles related to the main taxonomic groups, survival and spread of fungal inoculum. Morphological, phytopathological and toxicological characteristics of the main genera of fungi (Botrytis, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Monilia, Mucor, Rhizopus, Phytophthora) and bacteria (Erwinia, Pectobacterium) which damage vegetable products and commodities (0.75 CFU ). Physical methods and disease control strategies in post-harvest: refrigeration, high temperature, thermal conditioning and pre-preservation, oxygen and carbon dioxide, ethylene purification, hygrometric conditioning, ultraviolet light, gamma radiation, low pressure. Post-harvest chemical methods and control strategies: fungicides, methods of application of chemicals for plant disease control means, pesticide residues. Post-harvest biological methods and means of control: use of antagonistic microorganisms and their mechanisms of action, limits of biological control. Mycotoxins and mycotoxicosis: toxigenic fungi in plant products and main mycotoxins produced (aflatoxins, patulin, ochratoxin, toxins produced by the genus Fusarium) (1 CFU).
The evolution of the disease control approach. Concepts and differences among the different plant disease control strategies: from traditional principles of plant disease control to integrated pest management (IPM) and integrated production.
The different types of agricultural management and with particular regard to the disease control in crops. Concepts of intensive agriculture, sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, subsistence agriculture, market agriculture, "biodynamic agriculture" (0.25 CFU).
Rodents: morphology, biology and ethology of Mus musculus, Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus. Direct and indirect damages. Prevention and monitoring. Species detection, mechanical and chemical methods of control. Legislative references low (283/1962 art.5), standard UNI11381:2010.
As regards the part relating to plant pathology, the course aims to provide fundamental knowledge on post-harvest alterations of plant products, both of abiotic and biotic origin, and on the strategies available for their control. In particular, the topics covered during the lessons are listed below. Respiration, ripening and post-harvest life of plant products. Hints of plant pathology: harmfulness of plant diseases, concept of disease and damage, economic importance of post-harvest diseases, classification of diseases, disease cycle. Host-pathogen interaction: pathogenic mechanisms, host defense mechanisms (pre- and post-infection barriers), physiological and biochemical changes in disease development. Factors influencing the development of post-harvest diseases: host-pathogen specificity, host susceptibility, post-harvest conditions, cultivation techniques, post-harvest conditions, stage of maturation and development, senescence, wounds, physiological stresses. Causes and physiopathological mechanisms of post-harvest losses: losses from physiological changes, damages caused by cooling and from abnormal composition of the atmosphere (1 CFU).General characteristics of phytopathogenic agents and the diseases they can cause. Phytopathogenic bacteria: the bacterial cell; the penetration of the pathogen into host tissues; colonization of the plant; the mechanisms of pathogenesis and related symptoms; the phase of evasion of the pathogen, ways of diffusion and inoculum survival; principles of defense against bacteriosis; bases of the systematics of phytopathogenic bacteria. Phytopathogenic fungi: structure and vegetative organization of fungi; fungal hypha, hyphal modifications and aggregations; the latency and germination of spores; growth of fungi and factors that can influence these life stages of phytopathogenic forms; modes of sexual and asexual reproduction of fungi and their relationships with the fungal taxonomy; examples of life cycles related to the main taxonomic groups, survival and spread of fungal inoculum. Morphological, phytopathological and toxicological characteristics of the main genera of fungi (Botrytis, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Monilia, Mucor, Rhizopus, Phytophthora) and bacteria (Erwinia, Pectobacterium) which damage vegetable products and commodities (0.75 CFU ). Physical methods and disease control strategies in post-harvest: refrigeration, high temperature, thermal conditioning and pre-preservation, oxygen and carbon dioxide, ethylene purification, hygrometric conditioning, ultraviolet light, gamma radiation, low pressure. Post-harvest chemical methods and control strategies: fungicides, methods of application of chemicals for plant disease control means, pesticide residues. Post-harvest biological methods and means of control: use of antagonistic microorganisms and their mechanisms of action, limits of biological control. Mycotoxins and mycotoxicosis: toxigenic fungi in plant products and main mycotoxins produced (aflatoxins, patulin, ochratoxin, toxins produced by the genus Fusarium) (1 CFU).
The evolution of the disease control approach. Concepts and differences among the different plant disease control strategies: from traditional principles of plant disease control to integrated pest management (IPM) and integrated production.
The different types of agricultural management and with particular regard to the disease control in crops. Concepts of intensive agriculture, sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, subsistence agriculture, market agriculture, "biodynamic agriculture" (0.25 CFU).
Prerequisites for admission
It is advised to have knowledge of elements of biology and primary productions.
Teaching methods
Lectures and classroom exercises will be held. The latter will be structured in order to illustrate production processes, phytopathological situations taken from case studies and images useful for the identification of pathogens and pests in foodstuffs to facilitate the application of theoretical concepts to production realities.
Teaching Resources
The following materials are recommended for the study of entomological topics:
1) Süss, Guerra, 2021"Gli infestanti nelle industrie alimentari" Edizioni Avenue Media
2) Additional documents deposited on the Ariel page of the course
The following materials are recommended for the study of plant pathology topics:
1) De Cicco, Bertolini, Salerno "Post harvest plant pathology" Piccin publisher.
2) Additional documents deposited on the Ariel page of the course.
1) Süss, Guerra, 2021"Gli infestanti nelle industrie alimentari" Edizioni Avenue Media
2) Additional documents deposited on the Ariel page of the course
The following materials are recommended for the study of plant pathology topics:
1) De Cicco, Bertolini, Salerno "Post harvest plant pathology" Piccin publisher.
2) Additional documents deposited on the Ariel page of the course.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of a written test including both the entomological and pathological parts of the program. For each of these two parts, the following will be proposed:
a) 2 open-ended questions;
b) 2 questions that fall into one or two of the following types: closed-answer, multiple-choice, commenting on images, commenting on graphs or diagrams, and completing silent forms.
The time available to complete the answers of the entire exam will be 90 minutes. The individual questions will have a different weight in contributing to the final judgment, established from time to time by the Examining Commission on the basis of the difficulty of the individual questions. In addition to knowledge, the ability to argue the issues under discussion, the articulation of answers, their clarity, and the use of appropriate scientific terminology will also be subject to general evaluation. The exam will be considered failed in the absence of any of the required answers or if a single answer will be completely wrong in order to suggest the almost total lack of knowledge of a scheduled topic. The exam will be passed reporting the sufficiency in both topics covered by the program (entomology and plant pathology) and the arithmetic mean of the two marks relating to each partition will give rise to the final mark of the exam expressed out of thirty. Any rounding up or down to the whole grade will be at the discretion of the Commission, on the basis of an overall assessment of the exam. The correction of the papers will begin in the hours following the carrying out of the written test. Once all the papers have been corrected, the results will be entered on the dedicated Unimia portal where the student will be able to view them and possibly accept the vote within the times indicated by the system itself.
There are no ongoing checks. During the year, various exam sessions are proposed during the periods set by the didactic regulation. The dates of the exam sessions are regularly and officially published, in the times and in the manner prescribed by the regulations, on the Unimia web pages.
In addition to knowledge, the ability to argue the issues under discussion, the articulation of answers and the use of appropriate scientific terminology will be assessed.
Students enrolled in an exam call and who no longer wish to support it are required to cancel the registration and eventually to notify the teacher promptly in the case of registration already closed.
Students with SLD or disability certifications are kindly requested to contact the teacher at least 15 days before the date of the exam session to agree on individual exam requirements. In the email please make sure to add in cc the competent offices: [email protected] (for students with SLD) o [email protected] (for students with disability). Furthermore, it is suggested to discuss with the lecturer during the frequency or during the preparation of the exam in order to have useful suggestions.
a) 2 open-ended questions;
b) 2 questions that fall into one or two of the following types: closed-answer, multiple-choice, commenting on images, commenting on graphs or diagrams, and completing silent forms.
The time available to complete the answers of the entire exam will be 90 minutes. The individual questions will have a different weight in contributing to the final judgment, established from time to time by the Examining Commission on the basis of the difficulty of the individual questions. In addition to knowledge, the ability to argue the issues under discussion, the articulation of answers, their clarity, and the use of appropriate scientific terminology will also be subject to general evaluation. The exam will be considered failed in the absence of any of the required answers or if a single answer will be completely wrong in order to suggest the almost total lack of knowledge of a scheduled topic. The exam will be passed reporting the sufficiency in both topics covered by the program (entomology and plant pathology) and the arithmetic mean of the two marks relating to each partition will give rise to the final mark of the exam expressed out of thirty. Any rounding up or down to the whole grade will be at the discretion of the Commission, on the basis of an overall assessment of the exam. The correction of the papers will begin in the hours following the carrying out of the written test. Once all the papers have been corrected, the results will be entered on the dedicated Unimia portal where the student will be able to view them and possibly accept the vote within the times indicated by the system itself.
There are no ongoing checks. During the year, various exam sessions are proposed during the periods set by the didactic regulation. The dates of the exam sessions are regularly and officially published, in the times and in the manner prescribed by the regulations, on the Unimia web pages.
In addition to knowledge, the ability to argue the issues under discussion, the articulation of answers and the use of appropriate scientific terminology will be assessed.
Students enrolled in an exam call and who no longer wish to support it are required to cancel the registration and eventually to notify the teacher promptly in the case of registration already closed.
Students with SLD or disability certifications are kindly requested to contact the teacher at least 15 days before the date of the exam session to agree on individual exam requirements. In the email please make sure to add in cc the competent offices: [email protected] (for students with SLD) o [email protected] (for students with disability). Furthermore, it is suggested to discuss with the lecturer during the frequency or during the preparation of the exam in order to have useful suggestions.
AGR/11 - GENERAL AND APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY
AGR/12 - PLANT PATHOLOGY
AGR/12 - PLANT PATHOLOGY
Practicals: 12 hours
Lessons: 42 hours
Lessons: 42 hours
Professors:
Saracchi Marco, Savoldelli Sara
Shifts:
Professor(s)
Reception:
it is received by appointment
Via Celoria 2, Building 21030