Andalusian Institute of Agricultural Research and Training
www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/ifapa/web/

Team in O+

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Dr F. Miguel de Cara. Miguel is co-leading task 3.5. Miguel  has more than 15 years of experience on diseases of horticultural crops and soil and water disinfection. He has developed his works at University of Almería (Spain), and in a Biocontrol Manufacturer Enterprise for more than one decade. Currently positioned at IFAPA in the department of Sustainable Plant Protection. His research interests include epidemiology and non-chemical control of fungal diseases of Mediterranean greenhouse crops. He has participated in public and private research projects and supervised more than 30 works regarding fungal and bacterial plant diseases. Biofumigation, biological control, solarisation, solar water disinfection and plant resistance are the main subjects of his works. He is member and active collaborator of S.E.A.E. (Spanish Organic Agriculture Society) since 2004 and expert of the European EIP- AGRI Focus Group IPM practices for soil-borne diseases suppression in vegetables and arable crops. http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Miguel_De_Cara

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Ing Carmen García. Carmen is a crop specialist at IFAPA (Almería) with over 25-year experience in the organisation and training of farmers and horticultural dissemination on new techniques and technologies. She has participated in numerous courses and informative sessions as well as research and experimentation for technology transfer and knowledge. She is focused on different topics about organic crops in Mediterranean greenhouses, mainly on greenhouse crop diversification and optimisation. She is member of Action Cost BIOGREENHOUSE, and currently is leader of the project “Participative innovation for a sustainable protected horticulture”.

 

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About The Instituto de Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera (IFAPA)

The Instituto de Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera (IFAPA) is a public institution with 18 research and training centres, and 1,318 ha of experimental fields distributed all over Southern Spain, covering the main Mediterranean agriculture and agrifood sectors. IFAPA has 272 researchers and technicians, who participate in more than 160 research projects and research contracts with agribusiness companies. The  general objective of IFAPA is supporting the modernisation of agriculture, fishing and agrifood, by means of research, development, transfer of technology and training, assuring the sustainability of these sectors. The strategic position of IFAPA, directly linked to public administration, but also to growers and agribusiness, facilitates the feedback with the sector and drives researchers to participate in projects aiming real practical objectives with effective transfer actions (about 1,200 training activities per year, including an internet-based platform: SERVIFAPA). One of the seven thematic areas of IFAPA is dedicated to organic agriculture and natural resources, agglutinating researchers from different disciplines to create multidisciplinary teams. Olive is the main studied crop at Córdoba IFAPA’s centre, whereas Almería’s centre is focused on greenhouse crops. Commercial-size experimental fields and greenhouses are routinely used in these centres to test and evaluate novel innovations in demonstrative trials.