The awards recognised the best Master's theses on fertilisation and agricultural production presented last year at the Polytechnic University of Madrid
- The students Verónica Menéndez and Rafael Jiménez have received the Fertiberia Chair of Agri-environmental Studies Award from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) for their Master's theses presented last year.
- The awards were presented during the UPM's academic ceremony for the awarding of Degree Diplomas held last Friday at the School of Agricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering.
With an economic endowment of one thousand Euros, the awards promoted by Grupo Fertiberia in collaboration with the UPM recognise theses or projects of excellent quality in the field of fertilisation and fertilisers, their influence on agricultural production and crop quality, and on the environment presented each academic year at UPM centres.
In the selection process, theses that propose novel solutions or options that minimise the environmental impact of the use of fertilisers, both from the point of view of products and their application, are valued. Likewise, aspects such as the degree of complexity and difficulty of the project, the personal contribution of the student and its scope at a training-professional level are also taken into account.
The prizes are awarded in two categories:
- Fertilisers, fertilisation or their influence on plant production.
- Relationship of agricultural systems with the environment.
On this occasion, the thesis entitled "Response of garlic (Allium sativum L.) purple variety to three BAIC products: Nutran FH, Phytotrat and Viacqua in Ciudad Real, Spain”, presented by Verónica Menéndez Sánchez was awarded in the first category.
In turn, in the second category, the thesis entitled "Effect of incorporating maize stubble and using vetch and barley as cover crops and subsequently as green manure on GHG emissions (N2O, CO2 and CH4)”, presented by Rafael Jiménez Horcajada.
The jury, presided by Augusto Arce Martínez, Director of the Fertiberia Chair of Agri-environmental Studies, was made up of Inés Mínguez Tudela, professor in the Department of Agricultural Production at the UPM School of Agricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering; Ana Obrador Pérez, professor in the Department of Food Chemistry and Technology at the same centre; as well as the heads of Grupo Fertiberia: Pilar García Serrano, Director of Market Studies and Research; Javier Brañas Lasala, Director of R&D&I; and Javier González Paloma, Director of Agronomic Innovation.
The Fertiberia Chair of Agri-environmental Studies, established in April 2007 as a result of the collaboration between the company and the Polytechnic University of Madrid, has as its priority objective research in the field of environmentally friendly fertilisation that contributes to the development of competitive and sustainable agriculture. Directed by Augusto Arce Martínez, it carries out a wide range of actions such as promoting R&D&I projects, sponsoring specific studies, organising dissemination and diffusion activities, and collaborating in training programmes for UPM students, among others.
