TRACK THEME: MANAGEMENT OF ANIMAL RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN
AGRICULTURE
M1 at Catania University, Italy
In this slot, the student takes the obligatory courses for a total of 36 ECTS and selects, jointly with
the tutor, optional courses and other activities for a total of 24 ECTS. Other activities include:
seminar, congress, technical visits in Italy and abroad, participation to experimental trials and
laboratory activities.
Obligatory courses
1st semester
Applied animal production
Animal breeding and genetics
Animal nutrition
Total obligatory ECTS 1st semester
2nd semester
Animal products authentication
Molecular genetics in animal production
Sustainable animal production systems
Total obligatory ECTS 2nd semester
Optional courses
1st semester
Soil organic matter management
Soil conservation and desertification
Natural purification techniques and water reuse
2nd semester
Environmental agronomy and ecology
Food processes
Food packaging
Animal production systems
Animal metabolism and product quality
ECTS
6
6
6
18
6
6
6
18
6
6
6
8
6
6
6
6
DESCRIPTION OF THE OBLIGATORY COURSES
APPLIED ANIMAL PRODUCTION (6 ECTS)
Objectives. To deepen the knowledge about intensive, extensive and biological breeding
techniques, with particular regard to the small ruminants. To give information about the
traceability techniques of the breeding systems.
Contents. Dairy cows intensive breeding management. Breeding techniques in organic systems
production. Technical and environmental aspects of sheep and goat grazing conditions in the
Mediterranean countries: feeding behaviour, ingestion, feeding selection, stocking rate. Widening
of the swine and poultry breeding systems. Traceability of the breeding system. Technical visits to
animal farms and laboratory activities.
ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS (6 ECTS)
Objectives. To give theoretic and practical knowledge about the animal breeding programmes. To
give the traditional tools of the quantitative genetics and the innovative ones linked with the
biotechnologies applied to the animal populations. To deal with genetic traceability of the animal
products.
Contents. Selection criteria and advanced animal breeding programmes applied to the main
domestic species. Biotechnologies applied to the genetics. Study of the genes associated to the
animal production: marker assisted selection (MAS). Biotechnology techniques applied to the
animal breeding: Ovum Pick up, in Vitro Fertilization, embryo and semen sexing. Laboratory
practical.
ANIMAL NUTRITION (6 ECTS)
Objectives. To give knowledge about the animal diets formulation based on feedstuffs nutritional
value and animal nutritional requirements.
Contents. Nutrients utilization, metabolism and enzymes; thermodynamic rudiments applied to
the animal organism; material and energetic balance; metabolism energy. Feedstuff nutritive
value. Anti-nutritional compounds. Technological treatments of the basic elements. Dietary
supplements and additives. Diets formulation and preparation criteria. Technical visits to animal
farms.
ANIMAL PRODUCTS AUTHENTICATION (6 ECTS)
Objectives. Aim of the course is to give the knowledge and the competencies on the bio-markers
as a tool for the authentication of animal products.
Contents. Direct, indirect and physics biomarkers as tools for the traceability of the feeding
systems and/or the production area. Factors affecting the biomarkers variability in feedstuffs.
Biomarkers metabolism in domestic animals. Elements of laboratory techniques for biomarkers
determination in feedstuffs and on statistical methods for data analysis. European systems for
food products authentication (DPO, GPI and so on). Scientific literature examination.
MOLECULAR GENETICS IN ANIMAL PRODUCTIONS (6 ECTS)
Objectives. To provide the knowledge of the main molecular biology techniques applied to the
genetic management and selection of livestock populations and to the improvement of animal
productions.
Contents. Genetics of quantitative traits. Population genetics: genetic structure of animal
populations. Livestock biodiversity conservation. Molecular markers in animal breeding.
Characterization of livestock genomes. Sequencing and bioinformatic tools (outlines). Genes
associated to animal productions. Candidate genes, QTLs and Marker Assisted selection. Genomic
selection. Molecular markers and genetic traceability in animal productions. Biotechnologies
applied to animal reproduction and transgenic animals (outlines).
SUSTAINABLE ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS (6 ECTS)
Objectives. To understand the relationships between the animal production systems and the
environment.
Contents. Animal production systems according FAO. Animal production in the Mediterranean
area. Animal production as a source of land protection or degradation: the role of grazing
management. Animal production and environment pollution. Elements of Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA). Example of GIS applied to livestock field. Indicators of sustainability. Organic systems.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OPTIONAL COURSES
SOIL ORGANIC MATTER MANAGEMENT (6 ECTS)
Objectives. Provide knowledge for the rational management of soil, for its preservation and its
maintenance of fertility and finally improved yields.
Contents. Biosynthesis and origin of soil organic matter (SOM); humic molecules; effect of SOM on
chemical, physical and biological soil characteristics; biochemical and physiological properties of
SOM; role of soil organisms and micro-organisms in the evolution of SOM; SOM as a source of
nutrients for plants; interaction between SOM and xenobiotics (principally pesticides); recycling of
waste biomass in agriculture; production and characteristics of compost; analytical methods for
the study of SOM.
SOIL CONSERVATION AND DESERTIFICATION (6 ECTS)
Objectives: Provide knowledge and agronomic tools to mitigate land degradation and
desertification for Mediterranean agro-ecosystems.
Course contents: Basic concepts of ecology and agro ecosystems structure and dynamics; soil
characteristics and fertility; organic matter and rhizosphere microorganisms; loss of soil fertility
(erosion, compaction, salinization, sodification and desertification); conservation agriculture and
related agronomic techniques (sod seeding, terracing, buffer strips, etc.); protective function of
cropping systems and vegetative cover; crops rotations; meadows armed, forest cover; agroenvironmental national and European measures to support agricultural soil conservation; analysis
of specific studied case.
NATURAL PURIFICATION TECNIQUES AND WATER REUSE (6 ECTS)
Objectives: To acquire knowledge on the issues of wastewater natural treatment. The student will
acquire knowledge about the regulatory limits for discharge and reuse of wastewater and the
most innovative systems of extensive natural wastewater treatment.
Course contents: Wastewater characterization: wastewater sources; wastewater system network;
quality and quantity characteristics of wastewaters; legislation on wastewater disposal and
treatment. Treatment and disposal systems: natural treatment system: constructed wetland,
lagooning and wastewater storage reservoir. Wastewater reuse: sanitary and agronomic effects of
wastewater irrigation on soil and crops; technological aspects of wastewater irrigation; legislation
on wastewater reuse. Analysis of case studies.
ENVIRONMENTAL AGRONOMY AND ECOLOGY (8 ECTS)
Objectives. To acquire knowledge on the structure and functioning of natural ecosystems and
agro-ecosystems. To acquire knowledge on the agronomic techniques that govern the relationship
between crop production and environment for the planning of the agricultural use of land and the
conservation of the agro-ecosystem.
Contents. The ecosystem: definition, structure and functions: production, consumption and
decomposition (food chains, food webs). Energy flow in ecosystem. Biogeochemical cycles: water,
carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphor. The agro-ecosystem: definition and structure; factors of crop
production. The agricultural soil: origin, stratigraphy (erosion), structure, chemical and biological
characteristics. Conditions of habitability of the soil and their management). Soil nutrition and its
management. EEC nitrates directive and Code of good agricultural practice. Crop rotation and its
environmental effects. Land evaluation and land use planning: methods of land classification.
FOOD PROCESSES (6 ECTS)
Objectives. To convey the knowledge linked to the industrial transformation of the animal (meat,
fish products, eggs) and vegetable (fruit, vegetables, coffee, cacao) food. The technological
processes of the oven products (pasta, bread, (yeast) leavened and not (yeast) leavened cakes) will
be focused.
Contents. Rudiments about the meat and fish supply chain process. Salami process industry. Fish
preserves, semi-preserves and by-products. Qualitative characteristics of the eggs and their byproducts. General information about the vegetable products: fruit and vegetable preserves and
semi-preserves. Cacao and chocolate industry: feedstock and processes. Rudiments about the
oven products. Technologies of pasta-making, bread-making and (yeast) leavened and not (yeast)
leavened oven products.
FOOD PACKAGING (6 ECTS)
Objectives. To give the necessary knowledge to link up the elements obtained in the other
branches of learning with the particular problems of the conditioning and the distribution of the
food products and, moreover, to make the student aware to carry out and address, in the right
way, the food packaging processes.
Contents. Definitions, statistics and evolving trend. Outlines of the materials’ science. Diffusional
properties. Packaging materials: chemical structure, techniques of production, characteristics,
utilization and problems linked with glass disposal, stainless and protected steels, aluminium,
cellulosic materials and plastic polymers. Rigid and flexible packing. Packaging technologies. Shelf
life. Logistic and business distribution.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS (6 ECTS)
Objectives. To transfer knowledge about animal production systems, animal breeding, qualitative
and quantitative features of animal production, particularly in semi-extensive systems. To give
knowledge on genetic sources of domestic animal biodiversity, the within and between breeds
genetic variability. To make the students awareness about the principal methods used in
conservation programmes and selection schemes.
Contents. Animal production systems: Genetic resources and their productions. Milk and meat
production in cattle, sheep, goat and swine. Endangered autochthonous breeds. Application of
genetics to livestock production: Breeding objectives, breeds characteristics, crossbreeding,
selection criteria and genetic evaluation. Animal breeding biotechnology. Principles of
aquaculture. Technical visit in animal farms.
ANIMAL METABOLISM AND PRODUCT QUALITY (6 ECTS)
Objectives. This course will give to the student the information about the metabolic mechanisms
that affect the quality of animal products and in particular milk and meats
Contents. Elements of animal morphology. Nutrients: structural and non structural carbohydrates;
the fibre according to the Van Soest system; Crude protein and protein fractions (Cornell system
and INRA); lipids and ruminal bio-hydrogenation of fatty acids. Elements of anatomy and
physiology of digestion in monogastric animals. Anatomy and physiology of digestion in polygastric
animals; ruminal fermentations. The udder: anatomy and the lactation. Elements of physiology of
reproduction in mammals. Definition of quality for milk and meats. The effects of animal feeding
on milk and meat quality.