The University of Lleida and Agrotecnio are co-organising the 21st meeting of the Network for the Red de Uso Eficiente del Nitrógeno en Agricultura (RUENA)
Smart fertilisation and the efficient use of nitrogen as key factors in improving the productivity and sustainability of irrigated crops. This will be the focus of the 21st meeting of the Red de Uso Eficiente del Nitrógeno en Agricultura (RUENA), to be held in Lleida on 16 and 17 April. The event will take place on the campus of the Higher Technical School of Agri-Food, Forestry and Veterinary Engineering (ETSEAFiV) at the University of Lleida, and around a hundred people are expected to attend. The conference is organised by RUENA, the University of Lleida and Agrotecnio.
The conference will include an opening address and various presentations focusing on irrigated agricultural production, with particular attention to the Ebro Valley, as well as a round-table discussion with experts from the public sector and the private sector. In addition, technical visits have been scheduled to local companies noted for their interest in agricultural research and production.
As part of the meeting, the 3rd edition of the Award for the Best Research Paper by a Young Researcher has also been announced, with a prize of €1,000, with the aim of recognising excellence in research into the efficient use of nitrogen. The award will be presented to one of the eight papers selected by the RUENA committee from among the papers submitted by young researchers.
The detailed programme
The conference will begin with the opening lecture by researcher Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio, PhD and professor at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). The lecture is entitled: “Farm-level effects derived from satellite imagery – the role of nitrogen”.
This will be followed by a series of presentations focusing on agricultural production in the Ebro Valley, including the state of the fruit sector, decision-making tools for woody crops and the use of organic fertilisers in maize.
The presentations will be given by Gemma Reig (UdL, Lleida), on “The current state of the fruit sector in Catalonia”; Ana Quiñones Oliver (IVIA, Valencia), on “DRIS as a decision-making tool for fertilising woody crops: experience with citrus, persimmons and avocados”; Ramón Isla (EEAD-CSIC, Zaragoza), with “Assessment of the agronomic and environmental effects of double cropping in the Ebro Valley”; and Nerea Arias (INTIA, Navarra), with “Use of organic fertilisers in the rational fertilisation of maize”.
In the afternoon, there will be oral presentations by young researchers, followed by a round table discussion on the management of nitrogen fertilisation in irrigated agriculture, focusing on the case of the Ebro Valley, moderated by José Luis Gabriel (INIA-CSIC) and featuring Carlos Ortiz (Soil and Fertilisation Service, DARPA-Gencat), Francesc Domingo (IRTA-Mas Badia), Àngel Arcaya (Agroserveis d’Almacelles SCCL) and Santi Pelegrí (Alcarràs Bioproductors).
On Friday, technical visits will be organised to leading local companies, such as Eurofins and the Raimat winery, to gain first-hand insight into analytical techniques and innovation in agricultural production. The programme will also include time for networking, meetings of the RUENA Network Committee and social events, such as the opening dinner.
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