The research activities of the Master’s Program in Agronomy shall be linked to the following research projects:

 

1) DIAGNOSIS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING OF DRAINAGE BASINS.

- Research Line: Sustainable Agricultural Production

- Project Description: the increase of production and the population’s adaptation caused changes and conflicts in the use of lands and now strategies and guidelines are needed to balance the different interests governing spatial utilization. Drainage basin seems to be the right way of planning considering the environmental and legal aspects. The goal of this project is to enable studies in various drainage and subdrainage basins for environmental diagnosis, evaluate potentials and identify processes of natural resources’ degradation. Set up a special database of basin and through the techniques of geoprocess, algebra charts and special analysis, subsidizing strategies and private such as public action plans for the mitigation of these processes and of those in regional development.

- Professors participating in the project: Teresinha Esteves da Silveira Reis, Silvestre Bellettini, Luiz Carlos Reis and Rodrigo de Souza Poletto

 

2) PROTECTION OF PLANTS

- Research Line: Plant Health

- Project Description: the goal of this project is to attend activities concerning researches of plagues, diseases and weeds management, setting quality standards for the efficiency of controlling any damages or losses, as well as the optimization of agroquemicals’ use by reduction of applications and losses, in a sustainable, socioeconomic and environmental way.

- Professors participating in the project: João Pereira Torres, Jael Simões Rando, Cristina Batista Lima, Marco Antonio Gandolfo, Viviane Sandra Alves, Mayra Costa da Cruz Gallo de Carvalho and Leopoldo Sussumu Matsumoto

 

3) ASSESSMENT OF GRAIN AND CEREAL PRODUCTION, NUTRITIOUS CHARACTERISTICS, TYPES OF PROCESSING AND FORMS OF MONOGASTRIC AND RUMINANTS’ USAGE IN NUTRITION

- Line of Research: Sustainable Agricultural Production

- Project Description: the project aims to evaluate different genetic materials, such as the production characteristics in climate conditions of the norhern region of Paraná, as well as nutricious characteristics, types of processing to be used in animal nutrition.

- Professors participating in the project: Petrônio Pinheiro Porto, Marcos Augusto Alves da Silva , Marcelo Alves da Silva, Erika Cosendey Toledo de Mello Peixoto.

 

4) IMPACT OF FORAGE CROPS IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF PARANÁ

- Line of Research: Sustainable Agricultural Production

- Product Description: the project aims to identify the best forage crops possible for the region’s climate conditions, such as productivity, quality, as well as working methods in the system of pasture production (monoculture, intercropping of grass and legumes and integrated systems of production) and the effects of these systems in the biological, physical and chemical soil.

- Professors participating in the project:  Petrônio Pinheiro Porto, Marcos Augusto Alves da Silva and Marcelo Alves da Silva.

 

5) MONITORING OF SOIL PROPERTIES IN DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS.

- Line of Research: Sustainable Agricultural Production

- Project Description: aspects concerning environmental questions, with a special focus on incorrect handling of agricultural soils, associated with the request of physical analysis of soil for contracting Proagro (Programa de Garantia da Atividade Agropecuária), from 2008 on they started the studies of soil collection to characterize the physical properties, the importance of diagnosing its fertility and microbiological quality and considering governmental questions of research  incentive in cultures using potential biofuel. The goal would be to evaluate chemical, physical and biological properties of soil in different management systems cultivating potential cultures using biofuel.

- Professors participating in the project: Ana Maria Conte, Teresinha Esteves da Silveira Reis and Leopoldo Sussumu Matsumoto

 

6) PRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY AND FOOD SECURITY: USAGE OF MEDICAL PLANTS AND BIOTHERAPEUTICS FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF ORGANIC ANIMAL WELFARE/HEALTH PRODUCTION

- Line of Research: Sustainable Agricultural Production

- Project Description: animal production and its by-products are of high importance in Brazilian agricultural business. The demand for natural products grows every year. Changes in the way of production require food to be produced under hygienic conditions with healthy animals, not disposed to antibiotic residues or other drugs. The growing search for natural therapies is being observed in accordance with a consumer market being ever more demanding with regard to food safety. This way, medical and biotherapical plants are observed and preserved to control animal welfare.

- Professors participating in the project: Erika Cosendey Toledo de Mello Peixoto, Petrônio Pinheiro Porto, Marcos Augusto Alves da Silva , Marcelo Alves da Silva.