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The Graduate Program in Agronomy – UFMS offers 28 courses at master level, of which 2 are mandatory (Agricultural Experimentation and Lectures), and are distributed according to the program’s research lines, thus allowing a good opportunity for students to have adequate training according to their research area.

The courses of the Program are offered with the objective of ensuring the qualified training of the student in current and specific contents of the areas of Agronomy / Plant Production that will be the object of their research topics. Course distribution is made so that the student can have a broad and at the same time deep vision of the various areas of Agronomy, with the exception of the course Teaching Internship.

The student must complete the course of Lectures during the first year. Another measure considered important is the obligation of the English proficiency exam in the first year of the course. The highlight is the course of Scientific Writing Techniques, offered in the first semester, which although not mandatory, students are encouraged to enroll to obtain technical knowledge of how to write projects, articles and dissertations.

Below are listed the courses offered by the program:

COURSE MATTER
Precision Agriculture

1. History and concept of precision agriculture.

2. Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

3. Remote Sensing.

4. Embedded electronics: study of sensors, actuators, data acquisition and communication, electronic systems for positioning and georeferencing.

5. Data collection and mapping systems.

6. Production monitoring.

7. Monitoring of soil conditions.

8. Seeding control and monitoring systems.

9. Systems for localized application of fertilizers and correctives.

10. Mapping of infestation by weeds, pests and diseases.

11. Systems for localized defensive application.

12. Information technology and georeferencing.
Agriculture I

Crops: rice, beans and corn. 

1. Introduction: origin, history and socioeconomic importance.

2. Botany: classification, plant description and cultivars.

3. Climate and soil.

4. Soil preparation.

5. Fertilization and liming.

6. Propagation and sowing.

7. Crop treatments.

8. Phytosanitary treatment,

9. Harvesting.

10. Storage.
Agriculture II Crops: cotton, sugarcane and soybean.

  1. Introduction: origin, history and socioeconomic importance.
  2. Botany: classification, plant description and cultivars.
  3. Climate and soil.
  4. Soil preparation.
  5. Fertilization and liming.
  6. Propagation and sowing.
  7. Crop treatments.
  8. Phytosanitary treatment,
  9. Harvesting.
  10. Storage.
Seed Analysis Seed importance. Seed viability concept. Viability tests. Seed vigor concept. Determining the water content. Tests to evaluate the vigor. Standard Germination Test. Accelerated Aging Test. Electrical Conductivity Test. Controlled Deterioration Test. Tetrazolium. Seedling Emergency. Image Analysis in Seeds.
Microbial Insect Control
  1. Study of microbial insect control agents (entomopathogens).
  2. Identification; strategies for using entomopathogens in Integrated Pest Management.
  3. Collection, isolation, staining and examination of entomopathogenic microorganisms.
Criteria for recommending cultivars – 75h (Spanish)

Analysis of groups of experiments; Genotype x environment interaction; Environment stratification; Adaptability and stability methods; Cultivar registration and protection.
Criteria for recommending cultivars

Analysis of groups of experiments; Genotype x environment interaction; Environment stratification; Adaptability and stability methods; Cultivar registration and protection.
Protected Cultivation Use of plastic in agriculture. Main applications of plastic in agriculture. Cultivation under protection. Environment management in protected cultivation. Soil solarization. Phytosanitary management in protected cultivation. Fertirrigation.
Plant Disease Diagnosis and Control
  1. Nature and etiology of plant diseases.
  2. Conventional and advanced methods used in the diagnosis of plant diseases.
  3. Methods of collecting plant samples for diagnostic purposes.
  4. Cycle of pathogen-host relationships.
  5. Criteria used in the evaluation of diseases.
  6. Interactions between plant diseases.
  7. General principles of plant disease control.
  8. Strategies and tactics for integrated control of plant diseases.
  9. Basic concepts about prediction systems and warning stations.
Dissertation Dissertation Defense is the final step of the degree. The Dissertation assessment will obey, where applicable, the rules for graduate stricto sensu, in which the candidate who obtains approval by simple majority of the Examining Committee will be considered approved in the defense of the dissertation
Teaching Internship Includes attributions related to academic charges associated with undergraduate academic activities under the supervision of its advisor, following specific regulations of funding agencies and Program Rules.
Agricultural Experimentation
  1. Significance tests.
  2. Experimental designs.
  3. Analysis of groups of experiments.
  4. Factorial, subdivided plots and split block experiments.
  5. Regression in the analysis of variance.
  6. Non-parametric tests.
Soil Fertility and Fertilization Management in Cerrado Soils Chemical elements of agronomic importance and their interactions with the soil. Evaluation of soil fertility and theoretical principles of sampling, correlation, calibration and interpretation. Soil reaction, ion exchange and bases for chemical management of acid soils. Subsoil acidity management. Importance of organic matter in the fertility of tropical soils. Soil fertility management in conservational systems (no-till, minimal cultivation and crop-livestock integration). Mechanisms of organic matter in the soil. The nutrients in the soil, fundamentals of fertilization with macro and micronutrients. Controlled release fertilizers. Relations between soil fertility and chemical, physical and biological soil properties. Demand of nutrients by different species cultivated in the Cerrado.
Tropical Soils Physics

1. The soil as a dispersed three-phase system.

2. Texture and structure. Consistency.

3. The water energy state in the soil.

4. Physical properties of water.

5. Water movement in saturated and unsaturated soils.

6. Infiltration, internal redistribution and evaporation of water in soil.

7. Soil aeration.

8. Soil temperature.

9. Soil management according to its physical properties.

Seed Physiology

 
  1. Seed importance.
  2. Seed formation.
  3. Seed maturation.
  4. Chemical composition of seeds.
  5. Water/seed ratio.
  6. Seed dormancy.
  7. Seed germination.
  8. Seed Deterioration.
  9. Recalcitrant seeds.
  10. Physiological Conditioning.

Advanced Plant Physiology

 
  1. Photosynthesis.
  2. Respiration.
  3. Water relations.
  4. Mineral Nutrition.
  5. Translocation of Assimilates.
  6. Quantitative Growth Analysis.
  7. Main Hormonal Groups.
  8. Correlative Growth and Apical Dominance.
  9. Vegetal Bio-cycle.

Geostatistics Applied to Agriculture

 

1) Classic Statistics (Fisher),

2) Geostatistics (Krige and Matheron),

3) Geostatistical hypotheses,

4) Simple semivariogram,

5) Cross-validation,

6) Kriging,

7) Crossed semivariogram,

8) Cokriging,

9) Specific soil and crop management areas

10) Precision agriculture

Environmental Impact of the Use of Agricultural Defensives

 

Overview on the use of agrochemicals in Brazil. Effects of incorrect and exaggerated use of agrochemicals. Main chemical groups of pesticides. Destiny and behavior of agrochemicals in the agro ecosystem. Soil-water-air contamination, persistence, chemical degradation, biological degradation, mobility, leaching. Effect of agrochemicals on soil and water microbiota. Toxicity and intoxication prevention of the applicator and consumer. Pesticide residues in food and sanitary barriers. Methodology for the study of the environmental behavior of pesticides and evaluation of the environmental impacts of pesticides.
Computational Intelligence Applied to Agriculture
1. Introduction to Computational Intelligence.
2. Installation and introduction to Genes, R and Weka softwares: interface, language, and main tools and procedures for data analysis.
3. Main applications of Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture.
4. Prediction problems by traditional techniques
5. Prediction problems by computational intelligence techniques: artificial neural networks, decision trees, and random forest.
6. Classification problems by traditional techniques
7. Classification problems by computational intelligence techniques: artificial neural networks, decision trees, and random forest.

Weed Management in Tropical Environment

 
  1. Weeds: origin, classification and biology in the production system of the cerrado region.
  2. Control methods: behavior of herbicides in the plant and soil.
  3. Formulations, mixtures and interactions of herbicides in the soil and plant.
  4. Selectivity of herbicides.
  5. Toxicological aspects and technical recommendations.
  6. Integrated weed management in Central West region crops.
  7. Development and critical analysis of scientific studies in the area of Weed Science.

Integrated Management of Pest-Arthropods

 

 Discussing the evolution of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) concept, its history, trajectory, current scenario, and perspectives of adoption in Brazil. Studying the fundamental bases and techniques for the construction and adoption of IPM programs. Characterizing and discussing the methods of insect and mite management with their characteristics to be used in the IPM. Providing training to the professional on how to develop and adopt integrated management programs, based on the evaluation of the agroecosystem, with lessons on how to carry out population surveys of insects and mites and their classification into pest or non-pest status to make decisions based on the level of control and choose control methods appropriate to each situation.

Soil Microbiology

 

 Concepts of soil population ecology. Evolution of soil organisms. Biogeochemical cycles. Organic matter: characterization, chemical, physical and biological importance to the soil; Microbial activity as a function of biotic and abiotic limiting factors influencing soil microbiota. Development and maintenance of plant communities as a function of biological action.

Biometric and Multivariate Models

 

1. Matricial Notation; 2. Mulcolinearity; 3. Analysis for experiments without statistical design; 4. analysis for experiments with statistical design.

Plant nutrition

 

 Generalities. History. Macro and Micronutrients. Essentiality criteria. Radicular ionic absorption. Transport and Redistribution. Leaf Absorption. Macro and micronutrient functions. Evaluation of the nutritional status of plants. Method of the critical level. Sufficiency Range Method. DRIS method. Recommendation of nutrients.

Post-Harvest of Agricultural Products

 

 Structure for storage of agricultural products. Physical and thermal properties of agricultural products. Physical classification and sampling of agricultural products. Psychrometry of agricultural products. Hygroscopic balance humidity in agricultural products. Respiratory process and heating of a mass of stored vegetable products. Pre-processing and processing units of agricultural products. Cleaning and pre-cleaning, separation, washing and processing of agricultural products. Kinetics of drying of agricultural products. Dryers used for agricultural products. Storage system for agricultural products. Handling of agricultural products in the post-harvest. Conservation of agricultural products. Aeration and thermometry system applied to stored grains and seeds. Agricultural products processing engineering. Feasibility to implement a storage unit and processing of vegetable products (project). Energy in the pre-processing of agricultural products. Control of mycotoxins in stored plant products and the effects on animals. Use of quality control tools in agricultural products processing units.
Qualification The General Qualification Exam will consist of the presentation, in a public session, to an Examining Committee designated by the Program College, of a scientific article related to your Dissertation research work, written according to the rules of a specialized and indexed journal at the choice of the candidate and the advisor, followed by an answer and will obey what is foreseen in the Rules for Graduate stricto sensu.

Soil-Water-Plant-Atmosphere Relationship

 

 The water. The soil. The plant. The atmosphere. The water in balance. The movement of water. The soil solution. Infiltration of water in the soil. Redistribution of water in the soil. Evaporation and evapotranspiration. Water absorption by plants. Water balance. Absorption of nutrients by plants. Spatial and temporal variability of soil-water-plant-atmosphere relationship attributes.

Lectures

 

 It includes the presentation of lectures by the student with subjects pertinent to the postgraduate program in Plant Production including the topics of the Dissertation

Scientific Writing Techniques

 

 Theoretical bases for scientific publication. The structure of a scientific text (title, authors, abstract, keywords, introduction, material and methods, results, discussion, conclusion and references). Main types of scientific publications. Elaborating research project and dissertation. The process of publishing a scientific article. Capes periodicals, SciELO, ISI, Web of Science, Scopus and Qualis web site. Parameters of evaluation, review and correction of scientific quality of journals and scientific articles.
Defensives Application Technology

Introduction to phytosanitary products application technology; Deposition and covering; Droplet size; Derivatives and environmental contamination; Adjuvant; Tips: Legislation and safety aspects; Safety and exposure of the applicator; Classification of machines used in the application of pesticides; Calibration of agricultural sprayers; Machinery for application of solids; Machinery for application of liquids; Aerial application; Criteria for selecting and evaluating the performance of the machines.

 

Special Topics

 The Special Topics may be offered in the way of sporadic subjects, without changing the Program’s curricular structure, or used to integrate the student’s curriculum by convalidation of credits according to the current rules of Graduate stricto sensu of UFMS.

Soil Use, Management and Conservation

 

 Importance of soil use, management and conservation. Soil erosion. Prediction of soil losses by using models. Soil and water conservation practices. System of soil classification and agricultural aptitude. Soil conservationist management. Conservationist planning. Soil management under different productive systems.