B028276 - TROPICAL TREE CROPS

English

Analysis of fruit supply chains in tropical and subtropical climates (environmental, agronomic, technologic, logistic and market factors). Traditional fruit supply chains and advanced value chains. Study case: mango and avocado. Development of new dedicated tropical crops value chains.

H Y Nakasone, Robert E. Paull, 1995. Tropical Fruits. CABI Publishing. 464 pp.
Selected scientific papers will be shared along the lessons.

Implement the capacity of planning and developing fruit crop value chains in tropical and subtropical environments.

Basic knowledge on perennial horticulture.

Lectures. Reading and interpretation of scientific papers. Developing ideas and delivering an output (written report, slide presentations, etc.) related to the development of an innovative value chain.
Practice in laboratory.

Written test and possible oral integration. The written test consists of verifying the knowledge acquired through 13 closed multiple-answer questions. The oral integration is applied on the basis of the problems identified by the candidates who have not attended the lessons.

Evolution of fruit supply chains: critical aspects. Tropical tree crops: productive aspects, marketing, limitations. Origin, diffusion, morphology and physiology, genetic resources, breeding and cultivars, propagation, orchard and post-harvest management of two model species (mango and avocado) and one underutilized species.
Laboratory/practice and excursions: collection of data of production and of genetic resources from on line international databases; ripening and quality indexes on fruits; planning of orchards/productive chains.