Teaching of integrated pest management and phutopharmacology in Portugal and in Europe

Abstract

In 2005, in the 7th National Meeting on Integrated Control, the evolution of higher education of plant protection in Portugal, in universities and polytechnic schools with agricultural sciences, was analysed as well as the curricula scenario at that date. The current state is yet well illustrated by these studies since the schools had already adopted their curricula to the Bologna Process at that time (or they were already in transition to this Process). In the present study, agricultural sciences curricula are updated and compared with those of European universities and polytechnics regarding integrated protection and phytopharmacology. There is a reduced working time on plant protection towards the pressures of the Directive 2009/128/CE regarding training requirements. The recent reactions of Spanish teachers, researchers and technicians are highlighted, since the circumstances that motivated that reaction are similar in Portugal.