The curricular structure of PPGHI is designed for the academic Master’s level and consists of the following components:
I – Courses
II – Courses/Activities
III – Final Thesis
The mandatory courses are divided into program-wide mandatory courses (common core) and mandatory courses specific to each Concentration Area.
Mandatory Subjects
| Course | Syllabus | Workload | Credits |
| Experimental Statistics | Experimental designs: Completely randomized design, randomized block design, and Latin square. Experiment planning; Multiple comparison tests: Tukey, Duncan, and SNK tests, orthogonal contrasts, Scheffé test, Student’s t-test, and others; Regression analysis: Least squares method and regression in variance analysis through orthogonal polynomials. Correlation and determination coefficients; Factorial experiments with two or more factors; split-plot designs in time and space; strip-plot experiments and additional treatments; Data transformation. Bartlett and Lilliefors tests; Application of statistical software and interpretation of analyses. | 60 | 04 |
| Plant Physiology | Water relations. Energy metabolism and plant productivity. Solute translocation. Ion absorption. Plant regulators. Reproduction. | 60 | 04 |
| Instrumental English | Reading and interpretation of scientific articles in the field of Agronomy. Knowledge of basic grammatical principles. | 45 | 04 |
| Guided Research | Research and scientific knowledge. The scientific method. Defining the research problem. Preparation of a research project. Conducting field and laboratory experiments. Scientific writing. | 90 | 06 |
| Water-Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Relationship | Soil as a three-phase system; Mass-volume relationships: water storage in soil; Components of the total water potential in soil; Water retention and calculations in soil; Water transport in soil-plant, plant-atmosphere, and soil-plant-atmosphere systems; Water loss by plants and its control; Factors influencing water loss in the soil-plant-atmosphere system; Adaptive responses of horticultural crops to water and salt stress in the Semi-arid region. | 60 | 04 |
| Seminars I | The course focuses on the development of a research project: planning, background, types, problem, topic delimitation, scientific method, theoretical foundation, technical standards for citations and bibliographic references. Evaluation and synthesis of texts for communication in seminars. Guidance for participation in various academic activities (conferences, meetings, seminars, and gatherings). Tips on scientific writing and discussions of texts, such as: “The role of research in the training of higher education professionals”; “Basic research and applied research” and “What is the purpose of basic research?” | 45 | 04 |
| Seminars II | The course evaluates seminars presented by students, which should address the partial results of their work, including problem characterization, objectives, and methodology, and will be reviewed by other participants in the course. Each student’s evaluation will be conducted by a panel composed of at least two examiners and the main advisor, one from the course and one external, in addition to the evaluation by the instructor responsible for Seminars II. The primary objective will be to assess the quality of the data and their potential for the preparation of the final dissertation and defense, as well as the article or articles that may result from it. | 45 | |
Elective Courses
| Course | Syllabus | Workload | Credits |
| Irrigated Tropical Fruit Growing | Generalities, divisions, theoretical and practical aspects of irrigated tropical fruit production in the Brazilian semi-arid region, and good agricultural practices and protocol requirements for the certification of fruits destined for the domestic and export markets, with emphasis on the study of fruit species with potential to be introduced in the São Francisco Valley (e.g., apple, pear, cocoa, etc.) in addition to those already commercially exploited in the region (grapevine, mango, banana, acerola, guava, etc.). | 60 | 04 |
| Soil-Plant-Microorganism Interactions | Deepen knowledge about the dynamics of soil microorganisms and diagnose the main limiting factors for their optimization. The rhizosphere and microbial ecology of tropical soils. Mycorrhizal associations and their practical applications. Plant growth-promoting bacteria and biological nitrogen fixation through rhizobium-legume symbiosis and non-legumes. Nutrient cycling and the importance of microorganisms in the formation of organic matter. Bioremediation techniques in tropical soils. Basic methods for studying soil microbial activity and population. Molecular methods for the identification of cultivable and non-cultivable microorganisms. | 60 | 04 |
| Irrigation and Water Management | Availability and quality of surface and groundwater; Concepts of irrigation management; Water requirements of horticultural crops in the Semi-arid region; Irrigation management based on the water-soil-plant-atmosphere relationship to optimize production and/or increase net yield; Irrigation strategies for water conservation; Case studies: deficit irrigation, plant adaptation, and environmental impacts. | 60 | 04 |
| Breeding of Horticultural Species | Genetic variability (plant genetic resources). Importance of the environment in phenotypic expression; Genotype x environment interaction; Breeding methods for self-pollinating, cross-pollinating, and asexually reproducing plants; Use of biotechnology in plant breeding; Legal aspects in plant breeding. | 60 | 04 |
| Meteorology and Climatology | Weather and Climate. Earth’s atmosphere. Atmospheric movements. Earth-Sun astronomical relationships. Solar radiation. Air and soil temperature. Air humidity. Rainfall. Wind. Evaporation and evapotranspiration. Climatological water balance. Climatology. Meteorological stations and observations. Systematic collection of meteorological data in field experiments. | 60 | 04 |
| Research Methodology | Concepts of science, norms for the preparation of academic works, procedures for citations and organization of references, methods and techniques of research, types of knowledge, types of science, types, methods, and techniques of scientific research, communication between advisors and advisees, the research project, experimentation, definition and characteristic traits, scientific communication, ABNT norms and postgraduate program norms, elements of scientific text construction. | 60 | 04 |
| Plant Nutrition and Metabolism | The cell: structural and molecular organization. General organization of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Molecular organization: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids. Compartmentalization of metabolic processes at the cellular level: fractionation techniques and studies. Metabolism during germination, sprouting, and rooting of propagules. Main carbon and mineral reserves of propagules. Hydrolysis and mobilization of propagule reserves. Use of reserves in energy production and biosynthesis of cellular constituents. Respiratory metabolism. Pentose phosphate pathway. Bioenergetics of carbohydrate and lipid oxidation processes. Photosynthetic metabolism: carbon fixation and carbohydrate synthesis. Greening of plants: ontogeny of chloroplastids and chlorophyll biosynthesis. Radiation and photochemical processes of photosynthesis. Carbon fixation and reduction. Photorespiration. Regulation of photosynthetic metabolism. Formation of sucrose and starch. Assimilation and metabolism of mineral nutrients. Functions, absorption, and transport of mineral nutrients. Assimilation of nitrate and ammonium. Assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen. Assimilation of sulfur. Assimilation of phosphorus. Metabolism of secondary compounds. Terpenes and terpenoids. Alkaloids. Phenolic compounds. | 60 | 04 |
| Production and Technology of Seeds and Seedlings of Horticultural Species | General Considerations. Introduction to the course. Seed production: Importance and characteristics of good seeds. Status of seed production in Brazil. Formation, maturation, and harvesting. Basic principles of processing. Seed treatment. Storage and packaging. Seed analysis. Seedling production: Plant propagation. Structures and facilities. Seedling production systems. | 60 | 04 |
| Soil Chemistry and Fertility | Soil as a nutrient supplier. Essential, beneficial, and toxic elements. Mechanisms of nutrient absorption. Macronutrients and micronutrients. Laws of soil fertility. Soil colloidal complex (electric charges, constant charges, variable charges). Adsorption and ion exchange. Soil reaction. Acidity, liming, and gypsum application. Organic matter in soil. Dynamics of macro and micronutrients in soils. Soil and plant sampling for fertility purposes. Foliar diagnosis. Interpretation of soil and plant analysis results. | 60 | 04 |
| Plant Virology | Theoretical classes: Introduction to Plant Virology. Definition, morphology, chemical composition, and general properties of viruses. Infection, replication, and symptomatology. Mechanisms of plant virus transmission. Isolation, purification, and serology of plant viruses. Methods for diagnosing plant viruses. Taxonomy and nomenclature of plant viruses. Control of plant viruses. General aspects of major viruses in the Submédio São Francisco Valley. Practical classes: Mechanical transmission of plant viruses. Physical properties of plant viruses. Study of host range. Storage of plant viruses. Serology applied to plant viruses. | 60 | 04 |
| Physiological Action of Plant Regulators in Horticultural Crops | Action of plant regulators from the groups: auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, ethylene, brassinosteroids, jasmonates, salicylates, phenolic compounds, and polyamines. Effect of mixtures of plant regulators. Effect of products with physiological effects. Plant growth retardants. | 60 | 04 |
| Irrigated Agriculture in Drylands | Drylands of the world. Classification and characteristics of each in these environments. Semi-arid environments. Relevant production systems in drylands. Paradigms of agricultural development in the Brazilian Semi-arid region. History of the development of Irrigated Agriculture in the Brazilian Semi-arid region. Case studies. | 60 | 04 |
| Microbial Biotechnology and Technological Innovation | Microorganisms and their applications in Biotechnology. Biotransformation of agro-industrial inputs. Production and recovery of primary and secondary metabolites. Biotechnology of microorganisms in the agro-industry: beverages, production, and plant health. Understanding basic concepts related to Technological Innovation. Intellectual Property and Technological Prospecting in the context of Agriculture using microorganisms. Prospecting and use of microbial biodiversity. | 45 | 03 |
| Biological Control of Phytopathogens | History, basic concepts of biological control of diseases, and mechanisms of action. Techniques for isolating microorganisms from soil, rhizosphere, and rhizoplane. Endophytic and epiphytic bacteria. Plant growth-promoting bacteria: history, concepts, mechanisms of action, selection criteria. Induced Resistance (ISR) and Acquired Resistance (SAR): history, concepts, mechanisms of action, resistance signals, and chemical activators, selection criteria. Biological control of foliar, root, and post-harvest diseases, examples of success. Formulations, Market, and Risks. | 60 | 04 |
| Protected Environment Cultivation | History, concept, origin, advantages, and perspectives of protected environment cultivation, types of protective structures, climatic characterization, environment and crop management, propagation and seedling production, soil management, fertilization, irrigation, fertigation, hydroponics, substrates, nutrient solutions, use of mulching, crop rotation. Cultivation of horticultural species in protected environments, production costs in protected systems. | 60 | 04 |
| Seed Physiology | General Considerations. Introduction to the course. Seed formation. Functional concept of seeds. Seed maturation. Chemical composition of seeds. Physiology of germination. Metabolism during germination. Respiration. Physiological conditioning of seeds. Dormancy. Seed deterioration. Seed storage. | 60 | 04 |
| Post-Harvest Physiology and Technology of Fruits and Vegetables | Scientific and technological evolution of post-harvest of fruits and vegetables; post-harvest physiology and biology of fruits and vegetables; primary and secondary metabolism; growth regulators; ethylene biology; qualitative and quantitative characteristics; physiological disorders of fruits and vegetables; molecular biology in post-harvest physiology; post-harvest losses; technologies for the conservation of the quality of fruits and vegetables. | 60 | 04 |
| Post-Harvest Physiology | Physiological aspects of fruit and vegetable development. Pre-harvest and harvest factors influencing post-harvest quality. Ripening, maturation, senescence, and post-harvest losses. Treatments, handling, packaging, storage, refrigeration, and storage atmospheres. Stresses and physiological disorders in the post-harvest of fruits and vegetables. Transport, distribution, and logistics. Traceability. Food analysis and new post-harvest treatments. | 60 | 04 |
| Phytopathology of Horticultural Species | Concepts and importance of plant diseases. Main phytopathogenic agents and their characteristics. Disease cycles. Study of symptomatology, etiology, and control of diseases occurring in the main irrigated horticultural species of economic interest cultivated in the Submédio São Francisco region by different etiological agents, including: Banana, Onion, Coconut, Guava, Papaya, Mango, Melon, Watermelon, Tomato, and Grape. Study of alternative methods of phytopathogen control – biocontrol, and study of its components. | 60 | 04 |
| Horticultural Crop Science | Fundamental concepts and definitions within Olericulture. Classification, characteristics, and types of horticultural exploitation. Study of the main horticultural crops (melon, watermelon, lettuce, carrot, bell pepper, chili peppers, tomato, onion, and brassicas), addressing the following topics: introduction, physiology and production techniques, protected cultivation, seed production, and breeding. | 60 | 04 |
| Tropical Viticulture and Enology | Historical evolution of viticulture worldwide, in Brazil, and in the São Francisco Valley; Statistical data on grape production for processing (juice and wine); Factors influencing grape production for processing/precision viticulture; Processes for producing white wines, red wines, sparkling wines, and other grape derivatives/precision enology; Processes for producing grape juices; Enological treatments during the production of wines and juices; Enological microbiology; Characteristics of wineries; Physicochemical and metabolic analyses of grapes and wines; Sensory analysis of wines and juices; International and Brazilian legislation for wines and grape juices. Physicochemical analyses of grapes, juices, and wines; microvinifications; sensory evaluation; visits to wineries. | 60 | 04 |