MASTER PROGRAMME „PLANT PROTECTION”

Professional field 6.2 PLANT PROTECTION

Professional qualification “AGRONOMIST IN PLANT PROTECTION

Educational-qualification degree “Master”

The training in the educational-qualification degree “master” lasts 2 semesters for full-time and 3 semesters for part-time form of education. The student must accumulate at least 60 credits, of which 25 in compulsory, 17 in elective, 3 in facultative courses and 15 for the state exam / diploma thesis.

The curriculum provides an opportunity for training of 24. disciplines. The training is provided by 20 teachers. The minimum number of disciplines providing 45 credits is 10, of which 5 compulsory, 4 elective and one optional.

The aim of the training is to create highly qualified specialists aimed at the control of plant pests and the control and use of plant protection products.

Students upgrade their knowledge regarding:

• In-depth review of the legislation, providing competencies for management positions, both for control bodies and the business related to plant protection;

• Focus on modern requirements for greening of plant protection in order to protect the environment and human health;

• Providing the necessary knowledge and skills for the implementation of business related to plant protection (investment planning, marketing, trade, insurance, business communication, human resources, quality management). If desired, the master can study at least three disciplines with a business orientation.

The master’s program provides students with the opportunity to study desired and interesting for them disciplines and to profile their own knowledge, choosing one of the two specializations, as follows:

 “Plant Pest Control”

The specialization is suitable for students who have chosen to be realized as:

• Agronomists in Plant Protection in Agricultural Holdings;

• Experts at the BFSA – Plant Protection and Quality Control Directorate for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables;

• Experts in the Central Plant Quarantine Laboratory (CLCR) – Sofia;

• Experts in the Center for Risk Assessment in the Food Chain – Directorate “Risk Assessment in the Food Chain.

 The master’s program provides students with the opportunity to study desired and interesting for them disciplines and to profile their own knowledge, choosing one of the two specializations, as follows:

The training is focused on in-depth study of diagnostic methods and bioecological characteristics of economically important pests on crops and stored products, as well as on the planning and implementation of plant protection activities through chemical protection or non-chemical methods of plant protection. Students can deepen their knowledge and skills to determine different groups of pests on crops, as well as pests on forest and ornamental plants. The group of pests chosen by the students can be the basis for future scientific work with them.

“Control and use of plant protection products”

The specialization is suitable for students who have chosen to be realized as:

• Agronomists in Plant Protection in companies for production and trade in PPP and fertilizers;

• Owners and managers of agropharmacies;

• Business and consulting companies;

• Experts in the BFSA – Directorate “Plant Protection Products, Fertilizers and Control” at the BFSA Central Office;

• Experts in the Center for Risk Assessment in the Food Chain – Directorate “Plant Protection Products, Active Substances, Antidotes and Synergists”

The training is aimed at in-depth study of the procedures for biological testing and registration of plant protection products (PPP), fertilizers, soil improvers and biologically active substances, marketing and trade in PPP, specific crop requirements for soil fertility, soil health, ecotoxicity of plant protection products , decontamination of planting material and soil.

The main part of the general professional competencies is acquired within five compulsory disciplines, which are the same for the two specializations, as follows:

Phytosanitary control – the course provides in-depth knowledge of quarantine pests and the organization of phytosanitary control in order to protect plants, in accordance with the obligations of the Republic of Bulgaria under the International Plant Protection Convention. Students acquire skills to work as phytosanitary inspectors.

Sustainable use of pesticides – the course provides in-depth knowledge of the principles of sustainable use of chemical plant protection products, with a view to greening agriculture and protecting the environment; Students acquire skills to reduce the risks of pesticide use.

Investment planning in plant protection – the course provides knowledge and skills for planning and valuation of plant protection activities, with a view to conducting economically profitable plant protection in different crops;

Pests on stored products – the course provides knowledge and skills for identification of storage pests and measures for their control in order to plan and conduct plant protection activities in stored products.

Non-chemical pest management – the course provides knowledge about the possibilities for practical application of biological agents, together with other non-chemical methods and plant protection products as an alternative to chemical protection against pests. Students acquire skills for planning and implementing environmentally friendly plant protection programs.

 Students have the opportunity to supplement their knowledge with elective courses with which to increase their specific qualification according to their chosen professional realization.

Students who have chosen the specialization “Plant Pest Control” can choose a minimum of 4 of the following disciplines:

• Methodology of the scientific experiment in plant protection – the course provides knowledge and skills for statistical analysis of the results of observations on the population density of pests through different approaches to forecasting the occurrence of pests;

• Molecular methods in plant protection – the course provides knowledge and skills for molecular diagnostics of pests;

• Machinery for Plant Protection – the course provides knowledge and skills for working with plant protection machines in order to apply PPP;

• Geographic information systems – the course provides knowledge and skills for the creation and use of maps for the spread of pests, etc., as well as for visualization and analysis of scientific information.

• Practicum of Entomology – the course provides in-depth knowledge and skills for insect determination;

• Practicum of Herbology – the course provides in-depth knowledge and skills for determining weeds;

• Practicum of Phytopathology – the course provides in-depth knowledge and skills for determination of phytopathogens;

• Practicum of Acarology and Nematology – the course provides in-depth knowledge and skills for determining mites and nematodes;

• Pests of forest and ornamental plants – the course provides in-depth knowledge and skills for determining pests of forest and ornamental plants.

Students who have chosen the specialization “Control and use of plant protection products” can choose a minimum of 4 of the following disciplines:

• Marketing – the course provides knowledge about the nature and principles of marketing in plant protection and assists in the practical planning of leading business processes and activities (communication policy, brand promotion, distribution policy, marketing mix with plant protection products, etc.

• Biological testing and registration of products for plant protection – the course provides knowledge of the rules for authorization of plant protection products in commercial form, as well as for their placing on the market, use and control in the Community.

• Geographic information systems – the course provides knowledge and skills for creating and using maps for the spread of pests, etc., as well as for visualization and analysis of scientific information.

• Specific requirements of agricultural crops to soil fertility – the course provides knowledge about the preferences of the main plant species for certain macro- and / or microelements, how to diagnose them, that the presence of one chemical element may hinder or even reduce the intake of another and how it is possible to avoid this.

• Soil health – the course provides knowledge about the soil as a living ecosystem and the ability to reduce and eliminate the impact of external pollutants, incl. mineral fertilizers, pesticides and POPs. Students acquire skills for application of measures for preservation of soil health in the conditions of intensive use; maintaining them in good agricultural and ecological condition;

• Ecotoxicity of plant protection products – the course provides knowledge about the impact of plant protection products on the components of the environment and humans, as well as the prevention of work and use with them.

• Decontamination of seeds, seedlings and soils – the course provides knowledge about decontamination as a specific plant protection activity and the rules for its implementation.

The master program offers facultative courses that are common to both specializations and have a predominantly business orientation. They complement the mandatory discipline “Investment Planning in Plant Protection” and the elective “Marketing and Trade in Plant Protection Products”. Students must choose at least one of the following 4 disciplines:

• Business communications and public relations – the course provides knowledge and skills about the basic processes and approaches in business communication

• Human resources management – the course provides knowledge and skills for exercising management competencies needed to manage the main resource in the organization – people.

• Insurance – the course provides knowledge about the general principles of insurance, as well as specific approaches to insurance of agricultural products, bees and hives, as well as the place and role of insurance in the activities of plant protection specialists.

• Quality management – the course provides knowledge about quality management systems with special emphasis on the possibilities and benefits of their application in agriculture. The training is mainly based on the requirements for quality management based on the standards of the ISO 9001 family and the international standard ISO 9001: 2015.

 Students graduate with a state exam, and if the success of the semester study is at least a very good 4.50, graduation with the defense of a diploma thesis is allowed.

Students who have graduated from another specialty can study for a fee. They undergo preparatory training lasting two semesters and a study load of 55 credits. The preparatory training includes the following disciplines: Genetics, Mechanization of agriculture, Agrochemistry, Chemical protection, Economics of agriculture, Vegetable production, Plant growing, Fruit growing, Viticulture, Phytopathology, Pests on cultivated plants.

The recognition of disciplines from previous higher education, provided for in the preparatory training of this master’s program, is carried out by the Commission for Academic Affairs and Quality of Education at the Faculty of Agriculture in accordance with the Rules for recognition of educational credits and mobility at the University of Forestry. The student can receive an academic transcript for the conducted preparatory training.

Graduates acquire professional qualification “Agronomist in Plant Protection”

Career prospects: Regardless of the chosen specialization, the acquired competencies in the master’s program ensure the realization of students as:

• Agronomists in plant protection in agricultural holdings and companies for production and trade in PPP and fertilizers;

• Owners and managers of agropharmacies;

• Business and consulting companies;

• Experts at the BFSA – Directorates “Plant Protection and Quality Control of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables” and “Plant Protection Products, Fertilizers and Control” at the BFSA Central Office;

• Experts in the regional directorates for food safety – Plant Protection Department;

• Experts in the Central Plant Quarantine Laboratory (CLCR) – Sofia;

• Experts at the Center for Risk Assessment in the Food Chain – Directorate for Risk Assessment in the Food Chain; Directorate for Plant Protection Products, Active Substances, Antidotes and Synergists

• Scientific and teaching staff in universities and research institutes;

• Scientific staff in research laboratories

curriculum – FULL-TIME

Compulsory courses 5 for a minimum of 25 ECTS

Elective courses 4 for a minimum of 17 ECTS

Facultative course 1 out of 4 for a minimum of 3 ECTS

Remark: C – Compulsory course, E – Elective course, F – Facultative course, Ex- Exam; CA – Continuous assessment

curriculum – PART-TIME

Compulsory courses 5 for a minimum of 25 ECTS

Elective courses 4 for a minimum of 17 ECTS

Facultative course 1 out of 4 for a minimum of 3 ECTS

Remark: C – Compulsory course, E – Elective course, F – Facultative course, Ex- Exam; CA – Continuous assessment