Faculty of Horticulture MENDELU is one of the five faculties of the Mendel University in Brno. The faculty is managed by the members of the academic community through self-governing bodies (academic senate, dean, scientific council of the faculty, etc.). The dean works in close collaboration with advisory bodies, such as the dean’s collegium, various committees, and others.
The faculty consists of several parts, which include specialised departments that pursue teaching, research, scientific, and creative activities, and other offices taking care of the management and operations of the faculty. Each department has its specialised instrumental and technological equipment and delivers teaching to students in individual subjects of their study courses.
Faculty management
Dean
Treasurer
Vice-dean for science and research and postgraduate studies
Vice-dean for education
and accreditations
Vice-dean for internationalisation
Vice-dean for strategy and development
Vice-dean for internal and external relations and ICT
Faculty-wide departments
Dean’s office
Mailing address: Valtická 337, 691 44 Lednice na Moravě, Czech Republic
ID: 62156489
VAT No: CZ62156489
Electronic data mailbox ID: 85ij9bs
Study administration department
Science & research department
International office
PR department
Bodies of the faculty
Academic senate
The Academic Senate is a self-governing representative academic body of the faculty. The members of the Academic Senate are elected directly, in a secret ballot, from among the members of the academic community of the faculty. The period of function of the individual members of the academic senate is three years maximum. The authorities, the composition, the way of constitution and rules of procedure of the Academic Senate are stipulated by Act No 111/1998 Coll. On Universities, as amended, by the Code of Election and Code of Procedure of the Academic Senate of the Faculty of Horticulture MENDELU.
Scientific council
The scientific council comprises leading representatives of the individual branches in which the faculty delivers its teaching, scientific, research, artistic, and other creative activities. No less than one third of the members are persons outside the MENDELU academic community. The scientific council discusses the long-term mission of the faculty, approves study courses, and delivers its duties in the habilitation procedure and in the procedure towards appointing new professors. The authorities, the composition, the way of constitution and rules of procedure of the scientific committee are stipulated by Act No 111/1998 Coll. On Universities, as amended, and by the Code of Procedure of the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Horticulture MENDELU.
Dean’s collegium
Dean’s Collegium is the advisory body of the dean. Its members are the vice-deans, the treasurer, the heads of the departments, the chair of the academic senate of the faculty, the chairs of the branch sections, a representative of the students from among the members of the academic senate, and other members appointed by the dean.
Disciplinary committee
Disciplinary Committee deals with disciplinary offences of the students and presents drafts for the dean to decide upon the Disciplinary Order of the Faculty of Horticulture MENDELU. The members of the Disciplinary Committee and its chair are appointed by the Dean from among the members of the academic community of the faculty; half of the members of the Disciplinary Committee are students. The period of function of the members is two years maximum.
Branch sections
Branch sections are the advisory bodies to the Vice-dean for education and study affairs. They discuss all issues pertaining to master’s and bachelor’s study courses. The members of the sections are appointed and removed by the Dean from among the academic staff of the faculty, other faculties of the university, and expert professionals in the branch.
Branch councils
Branch councils deal with the issues of the doctoral studies. The members of the Branch council are appointed and removed by the Dean upon the consent of the Scientific Council of the faculty.
Departments
The faculty consists of several parts, which include specialised departments that pursue teaching, research, scientific, and creative activities, and other offices taking care of the management and operations of the faculty. Each department has its specialised instrumental and technological equipment and delivers teaching to students in individual subjects of their study courses.
Department of Fruit Science
The department provides instruction in specialized professional subjects such as pomology, fruit tree nursery management, and tropical and subtropical fruit cultivation, as well as specialized courses like the diagnosis of diseases in horticultural crops. In the research field, the department has long been engaged in the study of fruit species, evaluation, introduction, and breeding of apricot, peach, pear, plum, and rootstock varieties. A significant part of these activities includes research focused on the resistance of the Prunus genus to plum pox virus and issues related to ESFY phytoplasma. For study and research activities, the department utilizes apricot and peach gene pools, as well as collection repositories of Asian pears and Asian plums. Equally important activities include the introduction of subtropical and non-traditional fruit species.
Department of Horticultural Machinery
The department provides instruction in general subjects aimed at broadening students’ knowledge and understanding, which are essential for mastering further specialized courses. The professional subjects are designed to prepare students to address issues related to the cultivation, harvesting, post-harvest treatment, and processing of horticultural crops, including basic information on the ecological aspects of horticultural production. The courses are offered for all study programs. In the area of scientific research, the department focuses on investigating technical aspects related to the cultivation, harvesting, post-harvest treatment, and processing of horticultural crops, including solutions for composting residual biomass.
Department of Vegetable Growing and Floriculture
The department provides instruction in core disciplines such as vegetable production, floriculture, specialty plants, greenhouse production, seed production of flowers and vegetables, and an elective course in plant arrangement. The research activities of the department focus on the cultivation of vegetables, flowers, medicinal and spice plants, testing their quality and the presence of selected bioactive compounds, and expanding the biodiversity and genetic resources of ornamental plants and vegetables.
Department of Breeding and Propagation of Horticultural Plants
The department is divided into the Fundamentals of Horticulture section (Brno) and the Breeding, Propagation, and Nursery Management section (Lednice). Instruction is provided across a wide range of disciplines. The department teaches subjects such as dendrology and ornamental nursery management, genetics and breeding, fundamentals of horticulture, and nursery management. In the research field, the department focuses on nursery technologies, including the propagation of woody plants, the study of stress factors, issues related to extensive fruit growing, less common fruit species, and the genetic resources of these woody plants.
Department of Post-harvest Technology of Horticultural Products
The department investigates methods and operations focused on quality management of technological processes in the storage and processing of fruits and vegetables, with an emphasis on alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and their evaluation using instrumental and sensory methods. In teaching, the emphasis is placed on mastering the theoretical foundations and logical relationships that determine the connection between the quality of raw materials, preparation operations, and final products.
Department of Viticulture and Oenology
The department provides instruction in subjects related to viticulture, grape processing, and wine production, including courses such as viticulture, agrotechnics, ampelography and grapevine biology, enology, and winemaking technologies. Emphasis is placed on applying theoretical knowledge to production processes during instruction. In scientific research, the department focuses on breeding new grapevine varieties, monitoring the composition of musts and their potential modification, and minimizing allergens in wine production technology.
Department of Landscape Architecture
The department, in its pedagogical, creative, research, artistic, and professional activities, focuses on developing methods and tools of landscape architecture for applying cultural, artistic, and historical contexts to the development of urban and rural environments. A specific form of research includes the authorized design activities of the department’s educators, which are synthetically integrated into the studio-based teaching of students.
Department of Planting Design and Maintenance
In its pedagogical activities, the department focuses on the establishment, maintenance, management, evaluation, and protection of green spaces in both urban and rural settings. Equally important is applied research in the restoration of garden and landscape architecture heritage and the implementation of new industry technologies.
Department of Landscape Planning
In its research, the department addresses a wide range of topics, from spatial planning and the reclamation and regeneration of disturbed landscapes to the management of cultural landscapes, the study of designed landscapes, and the involvement of the public in the planning process.
Mendeleum – Institute of Genetics
The Mendeleum research center focuses on research in the field of plant biotechnology, utilizing principles of molecular genetics in breeding and monitoring the health status of horticultural crops, as well as tissue culture for the in vitro elimination of viral diseases.