Course Topics
For the following fruit species, a monographic approach is followed, with information related to botanical aspects, economic relevance at national and international level, environmental conditions for a sustainable cultivation, cultivation technique and cultivars/rootstocks. Pomaceous fruit species (apple, pear); Stone fruit species (peach, cherry, plum, apricot); Strawberry and other small fruit species (blueberry, raspberry, etc.); Kiwifruit; Temperate nut trees (Chestnut, hazelnut, walnut, almond); Citrus species; Olive; Table grape; Selected tropical fruit crops

Propaedeutic courses
no

Teaching format
Frontal lectures and exercises and external (field) activities

Educational objectives
Knowledge and understanding Knowledge of the most important scientific and technical traits of the main fruit tree species Applying knowledge and understanding Be able to distinguish the main characters and cultural constrains of fruit tree cultivations Be able to identify the most relevant limiting factors (deriving from the environment or related to the cultivation technique) for a sustainable fruit cultivation Making judgments Through the critical evaluation of the environmental parameters Through the critical evaluation of the several available agronomic approaches Communication skills Ability to communicate the acquired knowledge by using a correct scientific and technical language Learning skills Ability to autonomously extend the knowledge acquired during the study course by reading and understanding scientific and technical documentation.

Assessment
For attending students: 1/3 of the mark obtained from the evaluation of a group work on a specific topic/problem (proposed by the group of students or given by the professor) of the current and future fruit production sector. 2/3 of the mark obtained from an oral exam on topics listed in the course programme (max 2 questions on different fruit crops) For non-attending students: final oral exam on topics listed in the course programme (min 4 questions on different fruit crops). The group work will assess the students' capability to work together, while also improving their individual skills and ability to present in public. The final oral exam will assess student' knowledge and capacity to apply his knowledge to solve specific case studies given by the teacher on subjects related to the fruit cultivation. The making judgment capacity of the student will be evaluated also by asking critical opinions on the different subjects discussed during the exercises.

Evaluation criteria
The final mark will reflect the quality of the student’s answers to questions and (for attending students) the quality of the group work. Particularly important will be the capacity showed by the student to fully manage the acquired knowledge, also by showing the ability to make connections between different thematic areas. The ability to develop a personal critical view on specific scientific problems will be also positively considered