Reflection on the space for new floricultural crops in agronomy curricula in Brazil

Considering the relevance of the flowering plant Brazilian biodiversity and the paucity of academic resources dedicated to it, this article proposes a reflection on the space curricula and syllabi should allow for the introduction of new floricultural crops. A case study on the history of floricultural education in the Federal University of Vicosa serves as an illustration for this reflection, showing the emphasis given to different crops in the last decade and the courses offered. Conducting a survey with agronomy students, raised that: a) the crops they find important to study are not usually included in the adopted syllabus; b) the criteria they find most important when choosing species to cultivate are their potential market share and how adaptable the plant is to the cultivation environment, and c) they are open to cultivating new crops to the market. This article proposes alternatives to tackle the problem pointed out in its title. Amongst these figure not only the inclusion of new crops in the curricula, but the needed emphasis on the guiding principles for the cultivation of different plant groups and the knowledge of the market at which each crop aims.