Laboratory of Technologies for Plant Productions

Based on the knowledge acquired in the "Cultivation, Quality, and Safety of Plant Products" teaching, the laboratory of technologies for plant productions aims to delve into aspects related to the management of protected horticultural production systems and open-field herbaceous systems. It also aims to acquire the necessary skills for the application of advanced techniques and technologies to support production processes. The laboratory, organized into two teaching units, concerning the management of protected horticultural systems (TU1) and the site-specific management of herbaceous crop systems (TU2), has the following specific objectives:
1) to provide theoretical and practical knowledge about installations, management methods, and technological means used in the cultivation of plants in protected environments, from greenhouses to vertical farms, with particular emphasis on the management of fertigation in soilless production systems and artificial lighting systems to optimize crop development.
2) to provide theoretical and practical skills for the development and application of prescription maps for site-specific weed management and site-specific fertilization, as well as to transfer required knowledge for acquisition, management, and processing of remote sensing data collected through Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and the application of basic concepts for the development of prescription maps. Further insights will regard the application of treatments for pyralid biocontrol using UAV based systems.

At the end of the laboratory, students will have a basic understanding of the main production facilities and structures for protecting horticultural crops, the installations used for soilless cultivation, and the management of nutrient solutions. Additionally, students will gain basic knowledge of the main artificial lighting systems in greenhouses, light qualitative-quantitative measurement, and lighting programming.
Moreover, students will gain basic knowledge and skills for the operational management of prescription maps for variable-rate applications and site-specific management in weed control and nitrogen fertilization as well as the management of prescription maps by Virtual Terminal and the implementation of treatments by means of UAV for pyralid moth biocontrol.