A field day in El Pobo (Teruel) brings together researchers, technicians and farmers to advance knowledge on cereal rusts from agronomy and plant breeding perspectives
During a field day held in El Pobo (Teruel), researchers, technicians and farmers shared advances in the study and management of the main diseases affecting winter cereals, with special focus on wheat rusts under field conditions.
The event enabled the transfer of research from the laboratory to the field through visits to different experimental trials, placing the focus on agronomic evaluation and on improving crop management. Participants were able to analyse under real conditions the performance of different wheat varieties against rust, comparing their levels of resistance and field adaptation. They also learned about the results of studies aimed at identifying the most effective timing for fungicide applications, a key factor for improving treatment efficiency, optimising input use and moving towards more precise, efficient and sustainable management strategies.
In a complementary way, the use of drones (UAVs) was presented as a supporting tool for acquiring high-resolution imagery, useful for monitoring trials and early detection of potential crop stress symptoms. Their role is understood as methodological support for field work, while the core of the research focuses on crop agronomy and the improvement of varietal resistance.
The event also included the presentation of tools for monitoring cereal diseases, as well as an overview of current regulations on the application of plant protection products using drones, an evolving regulatory area.
The meeting concluded with a technical exchange among researchers, technicians and farmers on the main challenges of plant health in a context marked by climate change and the need to develop more resilient production systems, based on plant breeding and agronomic crop management.
The activity was organised by Dr. David Gómez Candón and Dr. Dolors Villegas, from the Experimental Station of Aula Dei (CSIC), and by Dr. Carlos Cantero Martínez, from Agrotecnio Center and the University of Lleida. Jesús Pérez Vives, technician from the Plant Health and Certification Centre of the Government of Aragon, also participated, along with technicians from the Cereals Teruel Cooperative and Caja Rural de Teruel.
The field day is part of the research projects Multi-Trait Wheat Security (P16140), funded by Agrotecnio, and Mercedes (PID2023-149687OR-C32), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the State Research Agency, and the European Union through the Next Generation EU/PRTR programme. Both projects focus on developing agronomic and genetic improvement strategies to increase wheat resilience against diseases and other biotic and abiotic stresses.
The initiative has been supported by the Cereals Teruel Cooperative and Caja Rural de Teruel.
