About the PPGAF
Program history and context
The Post-Graduate Program in Agronomy/Fitotechnics (PPGAF) at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) was created in January 1973 at the master’s level and from July 1994 onwards, it started to offer the course at the doctoral level. Since its creation, the PPGAF’s mission has always been to promote the training of human resources for the development and improvement of crop production systems, emphasizing agriculture practiced in the semi-arid tropical region. In this way, the PPGAF, through its master’s and doctoral courses, seeks, by excellence, the technical, scientific and humanistic training of professionals involved in Agricultural Sciences or related fields committed to the social and sustainable development of the country.
The PPGAF counts on the participation of the Phytotechnics Departments of the Agricultural Science Center (CCA) and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the UFC Science Center (CC), in addition to the participation of Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical. Since its creation, the PPGAF has had 5 lines of research, 1. Physiology, Biochemistry and Plant Biotechnology; 2. Plant health (Acarology, Entomology & Phytopathology); 3. Genetics and Plant Breeding; 4. Horticulture (Fruitculture, Horticulture, Floriculture; Medicinal and Aromatic Plants & Forestry); 5 Agroecosystem Management (Crop Production, Ecophysiology & Seed Technology).
By December 2019, the PPGAF had awarded 507 masters and 139 doctors, contributing to the qualification of professionals from different regions of Brazil. Currently (03/2020), the PPGAF has a total of 72 enrolled students, 27 at master’s level and 45 at doctoral level. It also has 5 postdoctoral students (2 with a scholarship from the National Post-Doctoral Program – PNPD/CAPES, 2 with a Junior Post-Doctoral scholarship from CNPq and 1 with a Post-Doctoral scholarship from FUNCAP). 20 teachers participate as PPGAF advisors, 17 permanent, 2 collaborators and 1 visitors. In 2020, 10 of the professors linked to the PPGAF had research productivity scholarship (8 at level 2, 1 level 1D and 1 level 1C), which represents 50% of the professors (permanent+employees+visitors).
Since the beginning of the evaluations carried out by CAPES, in the form of numerical concepts (3 – 7), the PPGAF has received a score of 4 in all evaluations (1998 – 2000, 2001 – 2003, 2004 – 2006, 2007 – 2009, 2010 – 2012 and 2013 – 2016), which denotes the consolidation of the PPGAF in the training of masters and doctors. Seeking to progress to concept 5, a strategic plan was developed and will be executed in the current quadrennium.
Objectives (general and specific)
The general objective of the PPGAF is to train specialists in Phytotechnics, at the Master’s and Doctoral level, in order to enable them to develop teaching and research activities, as well as training in extension when carrying out field work. in rural communities, workshops offered to farmers and presentations at events. Thus, the PPGAF has sought and contributed to the development and improvement of crop production systems, emphasizing agriculture practiced in the semi-arid tropical region. For that, the PPGAF maintains a continuous participation with the productive sector and other interested sectors, updating and/or readjusting the research focuses, extension actions and teaching activities, according to regional and national demands. As a result, there are professionals trained for professional life in research, education and entrepreneurship.
The specific objectives of the PPGAF are:
Training of highly qualified human resources;
Obtaining results and technologies;
dissemination of knowledge;
Development of crop production systems and management for the scientific (scientific results) and non-scientific (productive, social, etc.) community;
Meet the demand of the main regional and national phytotechnical problems.
Post-Graduate Profile
The PPGAF encourages the formation and/or development of a critical and knowledge multiplier character, as well as solid training in research and development in Plant Science. Graduates are trained in one of the 5 lines of research [1. Physiology, Biochemistry and Plant Biotechnology; 2. Plant health (Acarology, Entomology & Phytopathology); 3. Genetics and Plant Breeding; 4. Horticulture (Fruitculture, Horticulture, Floriculture; Medicinal and Aromatic Plants & Forestry); or 5. Agroecosystem Management (Crop Production, Ecophysiology & Seed Technology) ]. During the course, in addition to technical subjects in Phytotechnics, some subjects are offered aimed at market demands, such as Advances in Biotechnology in Agriculture; Entrepreneurship, Management, Leadership and Marketing; Higher Education Didactics; Philosophy of Science; Research methodology; Application Technology for Phytosanitary Products; among others (all subjects are listed in the Curriculum proposal item). Additionally, exchange (research missions) with other National Centers (especially those considered of excellence, programs 5, 6 and 7 CAPES) and international is encouraged, which has contributed to the personal, cultural and professional formation of the graduates. In this way, PPGAF graduates obtain the necessary knowledge for the development of activities in educational institutions, research and companies in the public and private sectors, regionally and nationally. This is proven by the positions obtained in such institutions. A map of graduates is being drawn up by the PPGAF coordination, in which it will be possible to visualize the destination of graduates from their first master’s or doctoral degree group. Among the destinations for graduates, the following stand out: educational institutions (Universities and Federal, State and Private Colleges), research (EMBRAPA), inspection and development of agriculture (MAPA, ADAGRI), among other private companies linked to the agricultural sector . Furthermore, it is worth noting that entrepreneurship has also been stimulated and, in 2017, we launched a startup (IN biological solutions) developed by PPGAF students and incubated with the UFC.
