.- Protection of Agri-Food Products
PROFF. PAOLA BATTILANI- RINALDO NICOLI ALDINI
Module Animal parasites
PROF. RINALDO NICOLI ALDINI
COURSE AIMS
The aim of the course is to pass on organized knowledge of food parasites and the principles of pest
control, emphasizing the importance of this knowledge in relation to food quality and safety. The
specific learning objectives are: i) basic elements regarding the different pest categories, their
harmfulness and related risks for food safety and human health; ii) in-depth details of the biological
characteristics of and damage caused by different orders, families, genera and species of food pests;
iii) the strategies for prevention, monitoring and control of the different pests within an integrated
pest management system in the different food industries.
COURSE CONTENT
Importance of food problems due to pests. Harmfulness of pests (quantitative and
qualitative damage) and risks for food safety and human health. Ecological
preferences, trophic niches and relations between pests. Systematic groups of pests.
General characteristics of the Arthropods. Mites: systematics, morphology, biology
and damage. Insects: systematics, external morphology, mouthparts.
Insects:
postembryonic
development
(ametabolous,
heterometabolous,
holometabolous development, types of juvenile forms); anatomy (integumentary,
muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, excretory, reproductive
systems) and short physiological accounts. Morphology, biology and damage
caused by insect pests: Thysanura, Blattodea, Psocoptera, Lepidoptera.
Morphology, biology and damage caused by insect pests: Coleoptera, Diptera,
Hymenoptera. Crop insect pests of sporadic importance. Vertebrate pests: birds and
rodents (Muridae), morphology, biology, ecology, ethology, damage. Other relevant
pests (other Arthropods, Mollusca, other Vertebrates). Pests in relation to the main
types of foodstuffs and food industries.
Protection of food products and integrated pest management in food industries.
Prevention, inspection, monitoring of environments and food products. Types of
traps. Entomological analyses of foodstuffs. Means and methods of pest control:
mechanical and physical, biotechnical, biological means; chemical means
(insecticides, rodenticides) and related risks for environment and health.
Tutorials
CFU
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
Observation and identification of orders, families, genera and species of insect and
mite pests. Analyses of foodstuffs: execution of filth-test.
READING LIST
Course textbook:
L. SÜSS - D.P. LOCATELLI, I parassiti delle derrate. Riconoscimento e gestione delle infestazioni nelle industrie alimentari,
Calderini Edagricole, Bologna 2001.
Recommended text:
G. DOMENICHINI, Protezione degli alimenti. Contaminazione biologica e sanità ambientale nell'industria alimentare,
EtasLibri, Milano 1996.
TEACHING METHOD
Lectures, laboratory work.
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Final oral examination.
NOTES
Prof. Rinaldo Nicoli Aldini is available to meet with students by appointment or after class at the
Institute of Entomology and Plant Pathology. A more detailed course description will be distributed
to the students by the lecturer.
Module Pathology
PROF. PAOLA BATTILANI
COURSE AIMS
The course aims to: 1) describe the main characteristics of fungi, necessary for a proper
understanding of crop and products pathology, protection strategies and targets; 2) define the
relevance of ecological conditions for fungal growth and tools for their survey and quantification; 3)
explain how fungi can affect the aspect, aroma-flavour and hygienic characteristics of plants and
their products; 4) give knowledge requested to understand crop and products protection strategies; 5)
show main diseases of relevant crops.
COURSE CONTENT
Main characteristics of phytopathogenic fungi. Overview of
phytopathogenic bacteria and virus. Infection cycle and
epidemiology of fungi.
Role of ecological parameters on pre- and post-harvest development
of fungi. Effects of fungi on the aspect, aroma-flavour and hygienic
characteristics of plants and their products.
Analytical methods for the quantification and identification of fungi
in food products and processing environments. Strategies for
controlling fungi. Methods of pathogen control post-harvest.
Main diseases of pome and stone fruits and horticultural products.
TUTORIALS
CFU
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
Methods for the diagnosis and quantification of fungi, bacteria and
viruses. Examples of the use of the morphological characteristics of
fungi for their identification.
READING LIST
V. DE CICCO-P. BERTOLINI-M.G. SALERNO, Patologia postraccolta dei prodotti vegetali, Piccin, 2009.
G. BELLI, Elementi di Patologia Vegetale, Piccin, 2007.
R.A. SAMSON-A. DOUGLAS KING, Modern methods in food mycology, Elsevier, 1990.
J.I. PITT-A.D. HOCKING, Fungi and Food spoilage, Academic Press, 1985.
R. WILLS-B. MCGLASSON-D. GRAHAM-D. JOYCE, Postharvest, an introduction to the physiology and handling of fruits,
vegetables and ornamentals, UNSW Press, 1998.
TEACHING METHOD
Lectures, laboratory work.
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Oral examinations.
Professor Paola Battilani will receive the students at the end of classes at the Institute of Entomology and Plant
Pathology.