Agriculture, Environment and Bioenergy

Dottorati
Doctoral programme (PhD)
A.Y. 2021/2022
Study area
Science and Technology
Doctoral programme (PhD)
3
Years
Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali - Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia - Via Celoria, 2 - Milano
Language
English
PhD Coordinator
Our planet is experiencing a decline in its non-renewable resources and is exposed to risks deriving from climate change. The agricultural sector must supply food, non-food products, ecosystemic services and energy, whilst guaranteeing safety and food sovereignty. It is therefore essential to develop advanced training courses in order to achieve efficiency and sustainability in the agricultural sector and its various territorial contexts, taking into account the various elements of the production system and their organisation in agro-ecosystems. Reference will be made to:
a) phenotypic and genotypic features and the valorisation of genetic resources;
b) containment of biotic and abiotic adversities;
c) implementation of predictive IT models;
d) bioenergy production, use of residual substances, soil and water resource conservation;
e) analysis and management of technical means, agricultural processes, multi-functionality of rural areas and of agrobiodiversity.
The programme will enable researchers to:
a) develop autonomous research;
b) prepare and propose public and private research projects on a local, national and international level;
c) identify research needs and their scientific, social and economic relevance;
d) transfer knowledge through teaching activities and the presentation of data and results;
e) transfer research results to the public and private sphere.
Classi di laurea magistrale - Classes of master's degrees:

· LM-3 Architettura del paesaggio,
· LM-6 Biologia,
· LM-7 Biotecnologie agrarie,
· LM-8 Biotecnologie industriali,
· LM-9 Biotecnologie mediche, veterinarie e farmaceutiche,
· LM-17 Fisica,
· LM-18 Informatica,
· LM-30 Ingegneria energetica e nucleare,
· LM-32 Ingegneria informatica,
· LM-33 Ingegneria meccanica,
· LM-35 Ingegneria per l'ambiente e il territorio,
· LM-40 Matematica,
· LM-42 Medicina veterinaria,
· LM-44 Modellistica matematico-fisica per l'ingegneria,
· LM-48 Pianificazione territoriale urbanistica e ambientale,
· LM-56 Scienze dell'economia,
· LM-60 Scienze della natura,
· LM-69 Scienze e tecnologie agrarie,
· LM-70 Scienze e tecnologie alimentari,
· LM-73 Scienze e tecnologie forestali ed ambientali,
· LM-74 Scienze e tecnologie geologiche,
· LM-75 Scienze e tecnologie per l'ambiente e il territorio,
· LM-76 Scienze economiche per l'ambiente e la cultura,
· LM-77 Scienze economico-aziendali,
· LM-81 Scienze per la cooperazione allo sviluppo,
· LM-82 Scienze statistiche,
· LM-86 Scienze zootecniche e tecnologie animali.
Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali - Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia - Via Celoria, 2 - Milano
Title Professor(s)
The activities will mainly deal with the direct measurement of regulation ecosystem services provided by urban vegetation. Eco-physiological techniques will be used on woody species subjected to different management techniques to evaluate the amount of ES provided
Requirements: Basic understanding of methods for leaf gas exchange measurement. Good knowledge and capacity to identify the most used urban woody species at temperate latitudes
Functional characterization of developmental genes in barley
Requirements: Solid background and practical experience in genetics, molecular biology and functional genomics, interest in plant genetics and availability to carry out field work
Multidisciplinary approach for setting up a continuous monitoring system in goat farms by means of vocalization analysis
Requirements: Basic knowledge of principles of animal husbandry; experience of collection and analysis of behavioural data
ArchaeoAgronomy and Archaeometry: archaeological and archaeometric research for the study of rural landscape, production and trade in Antiquity
Requirements: Knowledge of archaeology/archaeometry and/or agronomy
Microbiota of phytophagous insects: ecological and evolutionary drivers
Requirements: Knowledge in the field of molecular biology, general entomology and microbiology. In addition experience in data handling and basic bioinformatics tools is expected.
M. Montagna
Precision Livestock Farming technologies for improving animal health and welfare in dairy cattle farms
Requirements: Solid background in animal husbandry; good computer and statistical skills
Practices and Innovative agroecological techniques for the modern farm
Requirements: Basic knowledge in agroecology, of agrotechniques for sustainable management of cropping systems and rotations
Downscaling biophysical simulation using earth observation to increase the transferability of precision agriculture principles to operational farming conditions
Requirements: Basic knowledge on cropping system modelling, remote sensing and programming
Sustainable production of innovative biofuels in agriculture
Requirements: Basic knowledge of agronomy, agricultural machinery and mechanization, biomass-to-energy processes. Use of modelling techniques
Genome-wide mechanisms regulating recombination landscape in peach
Requirements: Basic knowledge of fruit tree breeding, genetics, bionformatics and molecular biology
Salt responses and nirtogen use efficiency in Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.)
Requirements: Basic knowledge in plant physiology
Agro-hydrological models and measures to improve the environmental sustainability of agroecosystems
Requirements: Good background in hydrology and agricultural hydraulics; good computer and statistical skills. Knowledge of: (1) simulation models of the hydrological balance in soil-vegetation-atmosphere systems; (2) field instrumentation for the measurement of agro-hydrological variables; (3) programming languages, is strongly appreciated.
3D sensing and automation technologies in high-precision agriculture
Requirements: Background on sensing and automation applied to crop monitoring/management. Basic knowledge in computer programming
Integration of crop models and machine learning: methods and applications for agro-environmental simulations
Requirements: Good agronomic knowledge. Good computer knowledge. If possible, basic coding knowledge; availability to learn and improve them
Multi-scale modelling analysis of organic cropping systems in Europe
Requirements: Background knowledge in agronomy and cropping systems. Basic knowledge in computer programming
Innovative models for impact assessment of technological, social and governance innovation in development programs and projects in Africa
Requirements: Background knowledge in agricultural and development economics, international cooperation policies
Breeding and evolution of plant architecture in rice and wild Poaceae
Requirements: Botany and morphology of monotyledonous plants, plant genetics and molecular biology, in vitro culture
Sustainability of agricultural tractors use in open fields and in specialized crops, from the performance and environmental standpoints
Requirements: Good knowledge of agricultural mechanics and mechanization, in particular on the agricultural tractor and its typical features
Fusarium diseases of maize associated with mycotoxin contamination: genetic aspects
Requirements: Knowledge in the field of plant breeding and molecular biology
Genetic improvement of camelina sativa
Requirements: Knowledge in the field of plant breeding and molecular biology

Courses list

December 2021
Courses or activities Professor(s) ECTS Total hours Language
Optional
Short Course - Metabolomic Approaches in Agricultural Science: from Sample Extraction to Bioinformatic Analysis 3 18 English
April 2022
Courses or activities Professor(s) ECTS Total hours Language
Optional
Climate Changes and Crop Research 3 18 English
May 2022
Courses or activities Professor(s) ECTS Total hours Language
Optional
Senescence and Quality of Flowers and Vegetables 3 18 English
Exploitation of Variability in Woody Crops 3 18 English
June 2022
Courses or activities Professor(s) ECTS Total hours Language
Optional
Sustainability in Animal Production 3 18 English
Sustainable Crop Protection 3 15 English
September 2022
Courses or activities Professor(s) ECTS Total hours Language
Optional
Safety and Wellness of Agricultural Operators 3 18 Italian