M.Sc. in Horticultural Production & Marketing - Course Descriptions

AGRH 533 Biotechnology Applications in Horticulture(3,0)3
After the definition of biotechnology and general application areas of plant biotechnologies, basic biotechnological methods as plant tissue cultures, molecular markers, recombinant DNA technologies and gene transfer in plants are revised. Application of these techniques and technologies in horticulture, especially use in germplasm storage and cryopreservation, in plant breeding and variety development, in seed and virus free seedling production, in variety registration and seed certification, in disease diagnostic and disease control are discussed.

AGRH 535 Mushroom Growing (2,2)3
Taxonomy, biology, life cycle and general morphological characters of important edible mushrooms such as Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Lentinus edodes are presented. Spawn production, compost preparation, spawning and spawn running in substrates, preparation and application of a casing layer, cultivation techniques, pest and disease control, harvesting, storage and market preparation are examined. Characteristics and planning of mushroom houses, environmental control systems and equipment for mushroom growing rooms are presented and evaluated.

AGRH 537 Soilless Culture in Horticulture (3,0)3
The significance of soilless culture in horticulture and advantages of soilless culture vs. cultivation on soil are explained. Classification of soilless cultivation systems is presented. Open and closed-substrate systems are compared. Physical and chemical characteristics of soilless media, technical equipments in soilless production systems, irrigation and nutrition of substrate-grown plants in soilless culture, analytical methods used in soilless cultivation, pathogen detection and management strategies in soilless plant growing systems are discussed. Organic, inorganic and synthetic components of soilless culture and specifics nutrition solution formula suitable for major vegetables as tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber and melon, and some ornamental plants are presented.

AGRH 539 Agricultural and Rural Development Project Analysis  (3,0)3
The course introduces the concept of “Project” to the students. Identification of Agricultural development objectives, determination of investment areas and resource requirements are very important and will be discussed with real life examples. Preparation of projects and selection criteria for the best alternatives will also be discussed. Economic and financial evaluation of projects and monitoring of the implementation process will also be covered by the course.

AGRH541 Citrus Pest Management (3,0)3
This course gives detailed information on the insect, mite, spider, nematode and snail pests which attack citrus. Descriptions are given of each pest, the damage it causes, its natural enemies and its management. Monitoring procedures are given for each pest.

AGRH 503 Plant Growth Regulators in Horticulture (3,0)3
Different natural and synthetic plant growth regulators will be presented. The effects of the plant growth regulators (auxins, gibberellins, abscisic acid cytokines and ethylene) on germination, rooting in cuttings, fruit thinning and the effect on flowering and their use will be will be discussed.

AGRH 513 Agricultural Marketing Strategies (3,0)3
What is the marketing, marketing systems, marketing research activities, markets, consumers and consumer behavior; marketing research techniques, marketing strategies and marketing organizations approaches to studying marketing (functional approach, institutional approach, commodity approach, systems approach, structural evaluation approach), international marketing and trade.

AGRH 515 Vegetable Seed Technology (2,2)3
The aim of this course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of vegetable seed industry in the world and the situation in TRNC and Turkey. The course starts with the structure and properties of types of vegetables seeds, the quality properties of seeds (genetic, biological, physical, physiological and pathological features), and vegetable seed production methods in different crops. The major topics of the course are the production, certification, harvesting, separation and sizing, field and laboratory controls, drying, postharvest treatments, packaging, preservation and storage, commercialization and distribution of vegetable seeds. As case study, seed production in some major warm season and winter vegetable crops are presented

AGRH 517 Laboratory Techniques (1,4)3
This laboratory course introduces fundamental methods and standard practices in bioscience laboratories.  Students successfully completing the course should also be ready for independent study work in laboratories.

This course prepares the student for fundamentals in laboratory techniques, which includes preparing/diluting solutions, laboratory equipment usage, conducting a colorimetric assay, basic light microscopy, laboratory record keeping, soil analysis, plant histological anatomy, temperature cabinet use, data collection and data analysis.

AGRH 529 Soil Biology (3,0)3
Overall information on the biological make up of soils, including the soil flora and fauna which participate in production, consumption, transformation and accumulation of organic matter with respect to cycling of nutrient elements and stabilization of soil structure. The course introduces functions of soil organisms on soil fertility and productivity.

AGRH538 Experimental Methodologies and Analysis (3,0)3
The aim of this course is to give to students a basic knowledge on the fundamental principles and procedures of experimental designs used in agricultural sciences. The course starts with the explanation of the basic terminology and concepts of the researches and main steps of an experiment (define the problem, identify objectives and develop a hypothesis, design and conduct experiments to test the hypothesis, collect data, analyze the data, interpret the data, draw conclusions about the hypothesis).  In the second part, the main experimental designs used in agricultural research (comparison of means, t test, chi- square, single-factor experiments, two-and multi-factor experiments, correlation and regression, etc.) are discussed.

AGRH540 Pomology (3,0)3
The aim of this course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of pomology in horticultural crops. An important examination of the criteria, the effective factors in the recognition of species and varieties, their differences, the richness and importance of Turkey and World's fruit varieties, market conditions, according to the season of fruit varieties and forms of assessment will be addressed.

AGRH 508 Agriculture and Agricultural Policies in EU (3,0)3
Overall information on agricultural policy programs, EU agricultural standards, biosecurity – food safety issues, rural development regulations, Common Agricultural Policy system, EU organic farming regulation, and EU Biodiversity Action Plan for Agriculture.

AGRH542 Greenhouse Pest Management (2,2)3
This course focuses on IPM strategies used in commercial greenhouse crop production. Emphasis on major greenhouse pests, including identification, life cycles, monitoring, and management strategies.

AGRH544 Advanced Plant Breeding (3,0)3
The course will cover the basics of plant breeding, molecular markers (RAPD, AFLP, SSR, etc.) and the use of these marker systems in modern plant breeding research. Regulation of genetically modified (GM) crops; economic, social, moral and ethical impacts of plant biotechnology; and future prospects for plant biotechnology and GM crops are also discussed.

AGRH 516 Environmental Stress Physiology (of Horticultural Plants)
Plant, environment, pest and disease relations are revised. Important concepts of host (escape, tolerance, resistance, immune, susceptibility) and the pathogens (agressivity, pathogenity, physiologic races etc.), types of genetic resistance (vertical, horizontal, durable), genetic basis of host pathogen interaction (the gene for gene hypothesis, racial composition of the pathogen) are discussed. Breeding methodology (major and minor gene resistance, multiline varieties, gene deployment, gene pyramiding or multigene varieties) and resistance and/or tolerance tests using for abiotic and biotic factors are discussed and evaluated.

AGRH546 Feasibility Analysis in Agriculture (3,0)3
Basics of farm management, economics and decision making, physical production relationships, cost relationships in production, management decisions: how much to produce, how to produce, what to produce: supply and demand as decision-making tools, managerial tools (competitive decision making, noncompetitive decision making, time, risk and uncertainty in management decision), marketing activities and management, government in agriculture impacts on decisions.

AGRH 520 Integrated PEST Management (3,0)3
Agricultural pest control strategies are presented. The topics will include life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment, action threshold, monitoring and identify pests, prevention and control tactics of pests.

AGRH 532 Agroecology and Plant Protection in Organic (ecological) Farming (3,0)3
Agroecology, alternative agriculture, conservation agriculture, sustainable pest and disease control methods, resource concepts, biodiversity, planting density and ratios, ecosystem governance, biological pest control, integrated weed management. Also looking at the problems caused by traditional farming methods, using a series of case studies.