Apple perspective: 
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences

Agricultural biology deals with issues related to the biology and ecology of fruit crops. Work in this program focuses on the breeding of apple varieties; you will analyze flower structure, flower formation, pollination and fertilization, fruit set, fruit growth and development in various apple varieties, as well as fruit load regulation, phytohormones and growth regulators and their effects on yield and fruit quality.

The focus is on optimizing quality, modeling growth processes, and aspects of processing and food technology. In addition, agricultural biology researches ways to improve plant health and increase yields, and considers the impact of apple production in the ecological system. 

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Agricultural sciences deal with all issues related to agriculture and, in particular, food production. Agronomists are concerned with apple tree breeding systems, soil, fertilization and plant protection, including the necessary machinery, the preservation and breeding of apple varieties, and the maintenance of apple orchards. They also deal with the keeping of animals, for example to graze orchards, the use of apple pomace to feed animals, and the harvesting, storage, and marketing of apples.

At the same time, agronomists must calculate costs, explore ways to improve plant health and increase yields, and consider the impact of growing apples in an ecological system. 

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In “Biobased Products and Bioenergy,” you will deal with questions of material and energetic utilization. In terms of apple production, the focus is on the residual materials generated when cultivating and utilizing apples. What substances do these residual materials contain, e.g. the seeds or the cut branches of the apple tree? What products can be made from them or how can they be converted into energy?

The costs of these conversion processes must be also calculated, biomass conversion plants must be technically planned and operated, and the effects of material and energy recovery in the ecological system must be considered. The plant nutrients contained in the residual products should ultimately be available to the apple tree again. 

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