Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) has its Administrative Headquarters and most of the Graduate and Postgraduate Courses located in the Recife City, State Capital. Moreover, the UFRPE has its actions extended to the interior of the state through advanced Campus, expanding its activities in the areas of teaching, extension and research.
The Institution (UFRPE) offers forty four (44) undergraduate courses, of which twenty two (22) are installed in the headquarters, nine (09) in the Serra Talhada Academic Unit (UAST), seven (07) in the Garanhuns Academic Unit (UAG) and four in Distance Learning. Moreover, the UFRPE offer twenty two (22) Postgraduate Programs, composed of 13 Doctorate and 21 Master courses. The Postgraduate Program in Plant Production (PGPV) is installed in the within the country at the Academic Unit of Serra Talhada, located in a distance of 400 km from the Recife city.
The Postgraduate Program in Plant Production at Master level was created by UFRPE from the teachers' initiative of the Serra Talhada Academic Unit in January 2010. In that same year, the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), at its 121st meeting of the Technical Scientific Council (CTC) in the Area of Agrarian Sciences, approved the project authorizing its operation for starting its activities in 2011.
After the creation of the Program in Plant Production the first selection process was carried in the semester of 2011.1 and until now (2019.1) more than 80 Masters have been trained. Of these, several of them are studying Doctorate in different University of Brazil and others are allocated in public offices and in the work market, including activities as professor in university and college as well as researchers in technical and scientific organs.
The Program was evaluated in the last four years (2013/2016) by CAPES and actually has concept four (4). Currently, it has fifteen (15) scholarships from CAPES and more ten (10) awarded by Foundation of Support to Science and Technology of Pernambuco (FACEPE). Moreover, the PGPV also counts on shares of Post-Doctorate Programs, where we currently have four Post Docs.
Currently, the Plant Production has twelve (12) Permanent and five (5) Collaborators Professors, researchers with wide experience in their areas of practice. Among the permanent ones, four (33%) are Productivity Scholars (PQ) in Research of the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). The PQ Grant is granted by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT) through CNPq, whose objective is to value researchers who have outstanding scientific, technological and innovation production in their respective areas of knowledge.
2) The Program Objectives
General:
Generate scientific knowledge and technologies (practices and products) aimed at improving Plant Production, both associated with the training of trained human resources in the agricultural sciences, aiming at the sustainable use of the agricultural and natural potentials of the Brazilian semiarid.
Specific:
- To develop studies and application of adequate techniques of collection, storage and seed quality, seedling production, planting, management, harvesting and post harvesting systems of native and exotic species, be they annual, energetic, olive groves, forest, fruit or forage in the semiarid region;
- To characterize the negative impacts of typical semiarid environmental factors (drought, salinity, heat, excess light, nutrient availability, etc.) on the development and yield of native species and crops of commercial importance;
- To evaluate the damages caused by biotic factors present in the semi-arid region (major pests, diseases and weeds) in the utilization and income of species and crops of economic importance for the region;
- Collect and evaluate meteorological databases of agricultural importance (precipitation, temperatures, relative humidity, etc.) in the Brazilian semi-arid region, associated to the rational planning and exploration of native and cultivated species of the region;
- To guide the rational exploitation of the native Caatinga species, which can rationalize its use by the population of the Semiarid region and contribute to its preservation in a sustainable way;
- To attenuate the asymmetries of socio-cultural development in Brazil, by the greater diffusion of knowledge and technologies with a view to regional and national development;
- Train an average of 12 Masters per year fit to enter the job market or to continue in the PhD.
3) Concentration area:
- Semiarid Vegetable Production
Research lines:
1) Physiology, breeding and technology of native and crop plants in the semiarid.
2) Impact of biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems in the semiarid.
3) Management and conservation of agroecosystems in the semiarid region.