Corporate presentation of the activities developed by the Institute of Agriculture and Food Research and Technology

3. A public company of the Government of Catalonia, linked to the
Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Action (DAR), subject
to private law, created by Law 23/1985 of 28 November,
subsequently modified by Law 4/2009 of 15 April.

4. Human Resources
717 workers
Distributed in our 9 centres
329
researchers 47% 53%
388 men women
support staff
Our cooperative relies
on a total of
1,147 people

5. Resources
€46.1 million
Total resources in 2009
37.62%
Contribution
from the
Government of
62.38% Catalonia
Own funds
+€10,000,000
Invested in 2009

6. Projects and
Contracts in 2009
681 current activities
285 companies
have signed contracts
62 agreements
with national and international
organisations

7. Scientific
Material Output
in 2009
323 scientific articles
291 papers and posters for
conferences
49 technical articles
51 books and articles in books
20 completed PhD theses
34 completed undergraduate final
project dissertations
3 patents

8. International
Cooperation
• Strengthening the organisation thanks to
collaboration agreements
• Training visits
• International courses and seminars
• Joint research and development projects
• Project assessment
• Technical/commercial tasks

9. Structure of the IRTA
10 IRTA centres + 9 associated centres make
up the Research Cooperative.
28 locations in Catalonia:
• 9 in Barcelona
• 6 in Tarragona
• 9 in Lleida
• 4 in Girona

10. The Centres
Activities in Lleida
Llesp
Mas Badia Field Station
Semega
Monells
Centa
Gimenells Alcarràs Field Station Torre Marimon
Fruit Centre
Lleida Field Station
Lleida GIRO
Borges Blanques Cabrils
CReSA CRAG
Mollerussa
CREAF Corporate Services
UdL-IRTA Foundation
Valls
CREDA El Prat Field Station
Mas de Bover
Ascó Gandesa
Ebre Field Station IRTA work centres California
Sant Carles de la Ràpita Associated centres Panama
IRTA field stations New Zealand
Associated field stations
Branches
Collaborating farms

11. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Food Engineering
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Improving Food Industry Processes
New Processing Technologies in the
Agri-Food Industry
Carcass Quality
PRODUCT QUALITY
Quality of Food of Animal Origin
New Preservation Technologies
FOOD SAFETY
Abiotic Food Safety
Biotic Food Safety
Ingredients and Functional Molecules
FUNCTIONALITY AND NUTRITION
Proteomics and Metabolomics

12. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The programme is focused on answering the technological and research needs of
the agri-food industry. It is organised into three sub-programmes: Food
Engineering, Process Improvement and New Processing Technologies.
The joint effort of these three sub-programmes is necessary to accomplish the
objectives of the Food Technology Programme, since a good knowledge of the
market, the product and the process is essential to identify the requirements of the
sector.

13. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
FOOD TECHNOLOGY CENTA
Food Engineering
OBJECTIVES
Modelling the transformation processes of food. Transport operations (mass, heat
and quantity of movement). Process simulation and control. Process engineering.
LINES OF WORK
• Drying engineering. Studies the optimisation of the traditional processes and the
development of new drying systems. Optimising traditional processes aims to model mass
transfer processes and transformation kinetics of foods in order to enhance their quality and
energy efficiency.
• New technologies engineering studies packaging, and the transformation and preservation
processes of food in general.
• Control systems apply to raw materials, processes and products.

14. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
FOOD TECHNOLOGY CENTA
Improving Food Industry Processes
OBJECTIVES
Improvement of traditional technologies in order to enhance quality, safety and sensorial
characteristics of the product or the efficiency of the process.
LINES OF WORK
• Food drying. Studies the changes caused to the product by the drying process (nutritional,
microbiological stability, texture, sensory quality, etc.) and the interaction between the
product and the technology used (traditional or innovative), optimising the selection criteria of
raw materials and the variables of the drying process for each product.
• Pre-cooked food. Specialist advice for companies in the sector and research companies.
• Food sensory analysis and consumer studies.
• Nutritional improvement. Reduction of sodium, replacement of fat, addition of probiotics,
reduction of nitrifying agents, etc.
• Food packaging. Interaction between packaging materials and food, shelf life, modified
atmospheres, active packaging, etc.

15. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
FOOD TECHNOLOGY CENTA
New Processing Technologies in the Agri-Food Industry
OBJECTIVES
Study of the application of new technologies that have not been used traditionally due to
the transformation, control and conservation of food.
LINES OF WORK
• High pressure. Introducing the technology in food processing to increase food safety and the
conservation of sensory and nutritional characteristics.
• Microwaves and radiofrequency. Evaluation of this technology to replace conventional thermal
treatments in different fields of the agri-food sector.
• Computed tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance and spectroscopy in the near infrared
region (NIR). Adaptation of food analysis technology. Incorporation of this technology in online
control systems.
• Development of new technologies to optimise food drying: quick dry slice (QDS), online control
of product quality and energy optimisation (dynamic dryer), etc.
• Adaptation of packaging to new technologies: packaging requirement study to be used in new
technologies.

16. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
PRODUCT QUALITY
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Evaluation of meat quality from a technological, nutritional, sensory and social
perspective in relation to genetics, pre and post-mortem treatment of meat (pigs,
cattle, sheep, rabbits, poultry) and fish.
Consumer preferences. Finding out the opinion, acceptability and attitude of
consumers in relation to meat and fish.

17. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
PRODUCT QUALITY
Carcass Quality
OBJECTIVES
Evaluation of carcass quality from different measurements of fat thickness, muscles, lean
content areas, yield grade and composition of meat when cutting, among others. Carcass
classification, calibration and validation of classifying equipment using dissections and
computed tomography.
LINES OF WORK
• Determining the effect of gender, genetics and nutrition in the quality of carcasses
and cuts (length, width, fat and muscle thickness, yield grade, composition, lean
percentage, etc.).
• Authorisation of carcass classification equipment nationally for the EU.
• Calibration of the classification equipment of carcasses and cuts. Cutting
optimisation.
• Evaluation of carcass composition and characterisation using dissections,
semiautomatic probes and computed tomography.
• Use of computed tomography to determine the composition of the live animal, the
carcass and intramuscular fat.

18. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
PRODUCT QUALITY
Quality of Food of Animal Origin
OBJECTIVES
Study of the technological, nutritional and sensory quality of meat and fish regarding the
production system, genetics, nutrition and ante-mortem treatment, as well as acceptability of
products by consumers and the sector in general.
LINES OF WORK
• Evaluation of meat quality from a technological, nutritional, sensory and social perspective in
relation to genetics, pre and post-mortem treatment of meat (pigs, cattle, sheep, rabbits,
poultry) and fish.
• Consumer preferences. Finding out the opinion, acceptability and attitude of consumers in
relation to meat and fish.
• Research to improve and innovate native breeds of pig, cattle, etc. regarding the
sustainability of the production system and how it relates to Catalonia.
• End product quality regarding friendly production.
• Studies related to the composition of the product in order to improve human health.

19. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
FOOD SAFETY
CENTA
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Contribute to the improvement of food safety by carrying out safe shelf
life studies.
Improve techniques to detect food pathogens, micro-organisms of
technological interest, residues and chemical contaminants.
Study in depth the microbial ecology of food and biomarkers in animal
tissues.
Study the effect of new processing and conservation technologies on the
physiology of micro-organisms and neo-formation contaminants in food.
Study in depth the knowledge of predictive microbiology to design and
validate new processes.

20. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
FOOD SAFETY
CENTA
New Preservation Technologies
OBJECTIVES
Study microbial cellular inactivation and cellular response to stress by high hydrostatic
pressure from a triple perspective: proteomics, transcriptomics and predictive
microbiology.
LINES OF WORK
• Studies of microbial stress associated to food production and preservation processes.
• Studies of high-pressure treatments (500-900 MPa) and other emerging technologies
(microwaves, radiofrequencies, etc.) on the viability, sublethal injury, recovery capacity
and physiology of relevant pathogens in food.
• Development and validation of mathematical models that describe the inactivation of
different relevant bacteria (pathogens and alterants) for ready-to-eat products.

21. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
FOOD SAFETY
CENTA
Abiotic Food Safety
OBJECTIVES
Study veterinary medicinal product residues and evaluate the effects of different food
preservation and transformation processes on different chemical contaminants. Identify
biomarkers using proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics.
LINES OF WORK
• Evaluation of chromatographic techniques and non-conventional measurement systems
(ELISA, Biosensors) in order to implement residue control plans.
• Studies of egg exposure biomarkers in relation to the administration of antibiotics (protein
and lipid metabolism, oxidative stress).
• Studies on the effects certain food preparation processes cause such as the accumulation of
potentially health-threatening compounds (nitrotyrosine, acrylamide, anhydrous
tetracyclines).

22. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
FOOD SAFETY
CENTA
Biotic Food Safety
OBJECTIVES
Incidence of pathogens and safe shelf life studies of food. It combines inoculation studies,
predictive microbiology, conventional microbiology, genomics and transcriptomics to identify,
trace and quantify food pathogens and micro-organisms of technological interest.
LINES OF WORK
• Studies on the microbial ecology in food.
• Development of starter cultures, bioprotectors and/or probiotics.
• Studies on shelf life and safe shelf life using challenge tests.
• Quick detection and quantification of food pathogens.

23. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
FUNCTIONALITY AND NUTRITION
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Applying ingredients and bioactive compounds (antioxidants, micronutrients,
lipids, peptides, etc.) to food to improve their nutritional and technological quality.
Adapting food to new social and environmental conditions and to the application
of new preservation technologies.
Obtaining, characterizing and evaluating the functions of bioactive compounds
from raw materials and food by-products of plant and animal origin.
Study proteins with technological and functional effects regarding genetics and
the management of animals. Identify genes associated to proteins expressed in
treatments or differential processes.
Study proteins and enzymes in technological processes and the use of new
technologies.
Obtain profiles of metabolites in plants and animals using combined separation
and spectroscopy techniques.
Bioinformatic treatment of metabolic data. Identification of specific metabolites.
Generation of specific profiles of lipids, phytosterols and vitamins.

24. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
FUNCTIONALITY AND NUTRITION
Ingredients and Functional Molecules
OBJECTIVES
Obtaining healthier foods using ingredients and bioactive compounds that help fight against
degenerative diseases, inflammatory processes and cancer.
Isolation and characterisation of bioactive compounds from by-products and other alternative
natural sources. Physiological activity, synergy and activation of genes.
LINES OF WORK
• Function and use of polyphenols, isoflavones, lipids (fatty acids, w-3, w- 6,
diacylglycerides, CLA, etc.) and phytosterols in food.
• Extraction, purification and characterisation of bioactive compounds in food and
by-products.
• Identification of oligomeric fractions of bioactive compounds. Stability of
ingredients and bioactive molecules in technological processing. Use of new
technologies to improve stability and function.
• Evaluation of shelf life using bioactive compounds. Identification of food oxidation
products (volatile agents, cholesterol oxides, TBARS, radicals, etc.)
• Evaluation models of biological activity using cell cultures, in silico models and
digestive process simulation.

25. AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES
Monells
FUNCTIONALITY AND NUTRITION
Proteomics and Metabolomics
OBJECTIVES
Study the effect of genetics in gene expression/proteins associated to the technological and
sensory quality of the meat and derived meat products.
LINES OF WORK
Differential expression of proteins in animal production treatments. Effects of medication,
ingredients in animal nutrition, environmental conditions and animal management. Identification of
potential proteins and genes associated to physiological processes.
Proteins and enzymes associated to technological processes and new conservation technologies.
Proteome of animal species and micro-organisms of interest in food production.
Identification of functional peptides in food.
Generation of metabolic profiles of raw food materials and products in relation to production
conditions and the technological treatment of food of plant and animal origin.
Use of bioinformatics to analyse the metabolome and its relation to specific metabolic routes.
Pheromones associated to the sexual odour in non-castrated pigs: androsterone.
Volatile compounds in food.

26. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Poultry Breeding
ANIMAL GENETICS AND
IMPROVEMENT Rabbit Breeding
Pig Genetics and Improvement
ANIMAL NUTRITION, HEALTH AND
Animal Welfare
WELFARE Ruminants
Monogastric Nutrition
Marine Environment Monitoring
AQUACULTURE
Aquatic Cultures
ANIMAL HEALTH Animal Health

27. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
ANIMAL GENETICS AND
IMPROVEMENT
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Develop and implement management, selection, diffusion, conservation and
improvement programmes for animal genetic resources.
Contribute to the known facts of the genetic base of aspects of interest in
animal species.
Design and apply methods to evaluate the genetics of the animals and to
analyse the information using quantitative and molecular genetic tools.
Develop management systems addressed to the sector in order to improve
productive efficiency, competitiveness and product quality.

28. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
ANIMAL GENETICS AND Mas de Bover
IMPROVEMENT
Poultry Breeding
OBJECTIVES
Conserve and characterise different breeds of native hens and other poultry species of
cynegetic interest, maintain the genetic level of the stocks and lines of the conservation
programme and introduce them to the poultry sector.
LINES OF WORK
• Collaboration programmes with institutions from other Autonomous Communities to develop
conservation programmes and with companies and organisations to transfer knowledge on
native poultry breeds.
• Maintain and increase genetic progress in productive parameters of Catalan native hens and
their introduction into production schemes of traditional poultry meat.
• Application of molecular genetic techniques to the characterisation and identification of breeds
and stocks of hens and other poultry species of cynegetic interest.

29. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Torre Marimon
ANIMAL GENETICS AND
Lleida
IMPROVEMENT
Prat Field Station
Rabbit Breeding
OBJECTIVES
Creation, selection and improvement of specialised lines of meat rabbits for production,
reproduction and adaptation uses.
LINES OF WORK
• Study the genetic determinism of productive and reproductive aspects and possible selection
strategies.
• Study the effect of climate stress on reproduction and survival. Determine environmental and
genetic variation factors that affect tolerance levels.
• Develop and apply statistical analysis models and methods to improve the genetics of prolific
species.
• Optimise genetic selection and diffusion programmes for meat rabbits.
• Improve the efficiency of the use of males and artificial insemination procedures and establish a
rabbit embryo bank with guaranteed sanitary conditions.

30. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Monells
ANIMAL GENETICS AND
IMPROVEMENT Lleida
Pig Genetics and Improvement
OBJECTIVES
Research genetic statistics and structural and functional genomics in order to study aspects of
economic and social interest and the genetic improvement of pigs.
LINES OF WORK
• Genetic evaluation and characterisation of pig populations in order to implement and/or optimise
selection and diffusion programmes for genetic improvement.
• Study the genetic architecture of aspects of productive interest and product quality in pigs using
structural and functional genomic approaches.
• Develop statistical methods that can be used for research on quantitative genetics and
genomics as well as for the genetic improvement of animal populations.
• Develop and maintain databases of pig populations to acquire information to be used as a
reference. Carry out genetic, productive and productive genotype/system interaction studies in
pig populations.
• Study and implement sustainable and/or alternative pig production systems (ecological
production, native breeds, etc.).

31. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
ANIMAL NUTRITION, HEALTH
AND WELFARE
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Research and innovation in animal nutrition, welfare and health, three
essential aspects for food safety and end product quality.
The challenge is bringing sustainability to animal production under the new
dispositions and requirements of the European Union. Therefore, research
values new alternatives to growth promoter antibiotics, and generates
knowledge about the conditions of animal digestive processes in situations
that compromise animal welfare. The programme also aims to study how to
improve animal welfare under the new conditions required by the new animal
production model.

32. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Monells
ANIMAL NUTRITION, HEALTH
AND WELFARE Mas de Bover
Animal Welfare
OBJECTIVES
Study the behaviour and welfare of cattle, pigs and sheep on farms, while in transport and
during their slaughter. The transversality of a subject such as animal welfare allows it to be
included in different research lines, such as meat and carcass quality, nutrition, genetics,
rabbits, ruminants, poultry and aquaculture.
LINES OF WORK
• Animal welfare during slaughter.
• Animal welfare during transport.
• Evaluation of animal welfare in farms and at the abattoir.
• Alternatives to the practice of painful processes.

33. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Torre Marimon
ANIMAL NUTRITION, HEALTH SEMEGA
AND WELFARE
Prat Field Station
Ruminants
OBJECTIVES
Improve profitability and competitiveness of ruminant farms using technological innovation.
LINES OF WORK
• Management and nutrition of dairy cattle, heifers and beef cattle.
• Management and nutrition of sheep and goats.
• Hormonal regulation of the metabolism of ruminants.
• Improving end product quality (milk or meat).
• Mathematical modelling of production processes and economic system simulations.

34. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Mas de Bover
ANIMAL NUTRITION, HEALTH
AND WELFARE Prat Field Station
Alcarràs Field Station
Monogastric Nutrition
Valls Research Farm
OBJECTIVES
Offer solutions to all nutritional problems. Special priorities: food safety, animal health and
welfare, quality and nutritional and sensory characteristics of products of animal origin, the
effect of intensive production on the environment, characterisation and use of new ingredients
and food systems, the development and registration of new additives in animal feeds.
LINES OF WORK
• Intestinal health and food safety. Alternatives to growth promoter antibiotics.
Enzymes, prebiotics, probiotics, acidifiers, plant extracts, flavourings, clays.
• Nutrition and the environment. Amino acids and analogues. Enzymes.
• Nutrition and quality of the end product. Modification of corporal composition,
modification of the lipid profile, meat and eggs. Functional food. Pigments.
• New ingredients and by-products.
• Liquid feed for pigs.

35. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
AQUACULTURE
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Carry out strategic research in aquaculture, facilitating the efficient transfer to
the sector and to the administration.

36. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Sant Carles de la Ràpita
AQUACULTURE
Marine Environment Monitoring
OBJECTIVES
Marine environment monitoring of food production and safety of shellfish to reduce the risk of food
poisoning caused by eating shellfish. Valuation of marine products. Design and implementation of
the Quality Monitoring Programme for Water, Molluscs and Toxic Phytoplankton in shellfish
production areas on the Catalan coast, including environmental parameters, microbiological
markers (E. Coli), toxic phytoplankton and marine toxins, contaminants, heavy metals,
organochlorines, HAPs, dioxins.
LINES OF WORK
• Food safety in aquaculture products.
• Studies on harmful microalgae (population dynamics, taxonomy, cultures, toxinic
production).
• Isolation of toxins and substances that are biologically active (chromatography, LC-
MS/MS, biosensors, cytotoxicity). Contaminants.
• Coastal oceanography.

37. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Sant Carles de la Ràpita
AQUACULTURE
Aquatic Cultures
OBJECTIVES
Develop research on new aquatic species or processes to improve the quality and
productivity of commercial species. Focus efforts on aquatic systems and species using
both production and sustainability approaches. Achieve interdisciplinarity with synergies
between research lines and programmes.
LINES OF WORK
Rearing new species for production purposes or those which are endangered.
Nutritional requirements of larvae, juveniles and sub-adults in relation to fish,
molluscs and crustaceans. Researching new fish feed ingredients.
Physiological studies of the effects of nutrients. Live feed enrichment
emulsion design. Design and formulation of microdiets for larva phases.
Detection and identification of zoonotic bacterial pathogens. Study of risk
factors in relation to aquatic production systems. Design and application of
sanitary management programmes. Experimental infection trials. Efficiency
and safety trials for sanitary products. Studies in the environmental impact of
aquaculture activities. Viability studies of commercial projects. Design and
adaptation of facilities.

38. ANIMAL PRODUCTION
CReSA
ANIMAL HEALTH
OBJECTIVES
Technology research and development, studies and training on all aspects of animal health.
LINES OF WORK
• Develop animal health research and development programmes.
• Introduce scientific progress into the sector
• Provide technology research and development services using approved research and
development programmes.
• Advise companies in the agri-food field, public administration and give support in the field of
animal health.
• Organise scientific and technical training programmes.

39. PLANT PRODUCTION
Post-Harvest Physiology
POST HARVEST
Processed Fruits and Vegetables
Post-Harvest Technology
Pip and Stone Fruit
FRUIT PRODUCTION
Olive Production, Oil Processing and
Nut Trees
Genetic Improvement of Cereals
FIELD CROPS
Field Crops Agronomy
SUSTAINABLE PLANT Entomology
PROTECTION Plant Pathology
Post-Harvest Pathology
GENOMICS AND
In Vitro Cultivation
BIOTECHNOLOGY Genomics

40. PLANT PRODUCTION
Lleida
POST HARVEST
UdL-IRTA Foundation
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Study fruit and vegetables after gathering to improve processes and
technologies that contribute to a more profitability and better product quality.

41. PLANT PRODUCTION
Lleida
POST HARVEST
UdL-IRTA Foundation
Post-Harvest Physiology
OBJECTIVES
Study the biochemical physiology of fruit under stress and/or during conservation.
LINES OF WORK
• Determination of the physiological response of fruit under stress conditions.
• Control and prediction of physiopathies in fruit.
• Antioxidants and health promoting compounds in fruit.
• Determination of ripening and quality using non-destructive methods.
• Optimisation and implementation of 1-MCP in the agricultural sector.

42. PLANT PRODUCTION
Lleida
POST HARVEST UdL-IRTA Foundation
Processed Fruits and Vegetables
OBJECTIVES
Study the microbiology of minimally processed fruit and vegetables, focussing on food
transmission pathogens.
LINES OF WORK
• Effect of field factors on the microbiological quality of processed fruits and vegetables.
• Studies on the effect of pathogens.
• Growth capacity of pathogen bacteria on minimally processed fruits and vegetables
packaged under different conditions.
• Studies on the shelf life of products.
• Researching new disinfection and control methods for pathogen and altering micro-
organisms that are safer for consumers and more ecofriendly.

43. PLANT PRODUCTION
Lleida
POST HARVEST UdL-IRTA Foundation
Post-Harvest Technology
OBJECTIVES
Study cold storage treatments and technologies for fruit and vegetables.
LINES OF WORK
• Effects of conservation (cold, controlled atmosphere) and other treatments used in
the post harvest period on the aromatic compounds of fruit and vegetables.
• Effects of storage treatments and technologies on the texture of fruit and vegetables,
modifications in cell wall composition and related enzymatic activity.
• Sensory quality and consumer studies on fruit and vegetables.
• Persistence of agrochemical residues on the skin and flesh of fruit and vegetables.
Effects of conservation technologies on their degradation.

44. PLANT PRODUCTION
FRUIT PRODUCTION
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Contribute, develop and transfer, based on research, to the economically
viable production, conservation and distribution of healthy fruit using
sustainable methods.
More specifically, the general objectives are:
• Renovation and continuous improvement of the productive structure,
working on the plant material from selection and/or evaluation to genetic
improvement, bringing in new varieties adapted to different agro-
environmental conditions and different markets.
• Efficient use of production inputs.
• Reducing production costs and improving productivity.
• Development of models that include integrated production, conservation
and distribution systems which take into account the preservation of natural
resources and respecting the environment.
• Obtaining excellent quality fruit products (commercial traits, organoleptic
attributes and nutritional properties).

45. PLANT PRODUCTION
Lleida Field Station
FRUIT PRODUCTION
Ebre Field Station
Mas Badia Field Station
Pip and Stone Fruit
OBJECTIVES
Study apple, pear, peach, prune and apricot species and apply the general objectives of
the programme.
LINES OF WORK
Plant material. Includes: 1. Introduction and evaluation programme of new varieties and stocks.
2. Genetic improvement programme of new varieties of apple, pear, peach and nectarine as well
as a genetic improvement programme of pear stocks. 3. Projects focused on the expansion and
use of the knowledge in genetic databases relating to these species. 4. Use of molecular genetic
techniques to improve the efficiency of selection processes.
Crop Technology. Includes activities and projects concerning: 1. The reduction of the
unproductive period. 2. Training, pruning and management systems. 3. Bioregulators to control
plant growth. 4. Chemical thinning and regulation of the fruit load. 5. Replanning in varietal
renewal situations. 6. Agronomic techniques to improve quality.
Quality of the fruit. Includes aspects such as: 1. Determination of the best harvest time. 2. Use of
products and techniques to improve the organoleptic qualities of fruit. 3. Use of products and
techniques to improve fruit colour and to reduce defects. 4. Development and/or validation of
non-destructive measurements of fruit quality.

46. PLANT PRODUCTION
Mas de Bover
FRUIT PRODUCTION
Ebre Field Station
Lleida Field Station
Olive Production, Oil Processing and Nut Trees
OBJECTIVES
Study of olive, almond, hazelnut, carob, pistachio and fig species, applying the general
objectives of the programme and developing models that describe improvements related to post
harvest, transformation, elaboration, nutritional value and quality of food (olive oil, nuts and
carob gum).
LINES OF WORK
Plant material. 1. Introduction, improvement and evaluation of new varieties and stocks,
prospecting, clonal and stock selections. 2. Expanding and preserving genetic resources. 3.
Monumental olive trees. 4. High-density olive tree plantations. 5. Reproduction physiology. 6.
Propagation.
Crop Technology.1. Densities, management of intensive and high-density plantations. 2.
Mechanised harvesting and pruning. 3. Deficit irrigation.
Post harvest technology, nut industrialisation and olive oil production: 1. Processes and new
technologies for oil extraction. 2. Post-harvest conditioning techniques of nuts. 3. Classification
and stocking nuts and olives for oil. 4. Industrial capabilities of nut varieties.
Fruit Quality. 1. Optimum harvest time. 2. Chemical characterisation and rheology of products.
3. Organoleptic qualities. 4. Volatile phenols and other markers for aromatic defects in olive oils.
5. Olive leaf sesquiterpenes to attract the olive fly. 6. Characteristics of volatile compounds in
olive tree varieties. 7. Functional molecules.

47. PLANT PRODUCTION
FIELD CROPS
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The general objective is to solve current agricultural challenges via the
development, evaluation and introduction of improved plant material, to generate
scientific knowledge in the field of field crops and to optimise cultivation
techniques, paying attention to the required reduction of costs and environmental
effects.
The programme is divided into two sub-programmes: Winter Cereal Genetic
Improvement and Field Crop Agronomy.

48. PLANT PRODUCTION
Lleida
FIELD CROPS Mas Badia Field
Station
Winter Cereal Genetic Improvement
OBJECTIVES
Obtain and introduce into the sector new genetic materials for autogamous cereal fertilisation
adapted to the Mediterranean with high productivity and quality and lasting disease resistance.
Generate scientific knowledge in fields related to the genetic improvement of cereal and its
adaptation to changing environmental conditions.
LINES OF WORK
Genetic improvement programmes for bread wheat, durum wheat and barley.
Drought tolerance: physiological and molecular bases, tolerant ideotypes, terminal stress, effects of
drought on growth and development.
Genetic resources and variability: evaluation, characterisation, documentation and multiplication of
genetic resources, use of genetic resources in the improvement, creation of collections,
phylogenetic relations, molecular biodiversity and ex situ conservation. Pre-breeding.
Phenological adaptation: phenological development in different environments, molecular bases of
the photoperiodic response, intrinsic vernalisation and precocity.
Selection improvement tools: identification and evaluation of useful integrated criteria to detect
superior genotypes in breeding programmes. Assisted selection for molecular markers.
Historic impact of genetic improvement: Time and space effects of empiric wheat improvement in
the Mediterranean.
Industrial grain quality: environmental effect on quality. Quality genetics.

49. PLANT PRODUCTION
Lleida
FIELD CROPS Ebre Field Station
Mas Badia
Field Station
Field Crops Agronomy
OBJECTIVES
Determine productive, qualitative and sanitary behaviour of plant material of different species
from different environmental origins.
Optimise the management of field crops in the main Catalan agro-ecosystems via the efficiency
improvement of the use of resources and the minimisation of environmental impact.
Establish a high agreement level with the sector and advise farmers and technicians to improve
the sustainability of their field crops.
LINES OF WORK
• Varietal evaluation networks for winter cereals, maize, rice, proteaginous plants, energy and
industrial crops and fodder crops. Coordination of the trials network of GENVCE (Spanish Group
for the Evaluation of New Field Crop Varieties in Spain).
• Optimisation of organic and mineral fertilisation: crop response to fertilisers, monitoring nutrients
in the soil and crops, use and study of the dynamics of animal excrement and other fertilising
materials, mineralisation and leaching of nitrogen.
• Evaluation of cultivation techniques: plant response to water supply variations, nitrogen and other
fertiliser components, improvement of crop establishment, environmental evaluation of
agricultural techniques in different species.

50. PLANT PRODUCTION
SUSTAINABLE PLANT
PROTECTION
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Develop innovative techniques to protect crops from diseases, pests and
abiotic agents that reduce their yield and the quality of agricultural and forest
products, prioritising biological, physical, low-risk chemical and cultural
methods before conventional methods of pesticide use, from the initial nursery
phase up to production, post harvest and storage.

51. PLANT PRODUCTION
Cabrils
SUSTAINABLE PLANT Mas Badia
PROTECTION Field Station
UdL-IRTA Foundation
Entomology Ebre
Field Station
OBJECTIVES
Develop and implement sustainable pest control systems based on the ecology and
management of agro-ecosystems, focusing on the conservation of biodiversity and biological
control. Production of IPM programmes that can be used by end users in intensive and field
crops, fruit trees, citrus trees and food storage.
LINES OF WORK
• Develop biological control methods based on the study of the biology and ecology of natural
enemies and pests: 1. Large-scale breeding of natural enemies. 2. Sampling and decision-
making methods, use of geostatistical techniques. 3. Semiochemicals and arthropod attractant
or repellent substances. 4. New molecular and chemical techniques to study trophic networks
in the agro-ecosystem. 5. Functional biodiversity, study of the dispersion and colonisation of
natural enemies (reservoir plants). 6. Modified atmospheres and other alternatives to the use of
pesticide treatments on stored food.
• Identification, prevention and control of emergent and invasive pests.
• Introduce to the sector innovative tools developed for the sustainable control of arthropod pests
in all fields of action.

52. PLANT PRODUCTION
Cabrils
SUSTAINABLE PLANT
PROTECTION Lleida
Field Station
Mas Badia
Plant Pathology Field Station
OBJECTIVES
Develop ecofriendly production and crop protection systems that favour natural regulation
mechanisms for pathogen populations in order to prevent the loss of plant resistance or the
appearance of resistance to phytosanitary agents and to promote the development of the soil's
natural microbiota to achieve production system sustainability.
LINES OF WORK
• Viruses. Epidemiology and host/pathogen interaction. Biological and molecular characterisation
of allied viruses. Resistances. Genetic silencing as a control strategy.
• Phytoplasms. Epidemiology and identification of insect vectors and host plants. Biological and
cultural control strategies of insect vectors, resistance-inducing substances and phytoplasma-
free plants. Diagnostic techniques.
• Nematodes. Multiple control barriers based on the use of plant resistance, biological control
and the interruption of the life cycle of the pathogen. Native biological control organisms.
• Woody plant pathogen fungi. Biology of the fungi involved in grape vine wood diseases and
effects of biotic and abiotic factors on infectivity. Chemical control and cultural techniques.
• Edible fungal symbionts associated to forest trees. Controlled mycorrhisation. Characterisation
and traceability of fungi and of controlled mycorrhisation in the field, etc.

53. PLANT PRODUCTION
SUSTAINABLE PLANT Lleida
PROTECTION
Post-Harvest Pathology
OBJECTIVES
Study in depth the known facts about fruit pathologies (especially pip and stone fruit, citrus and
grapes) that affect post harvest and develop consumer and ecofriendly control strategies.
LINES OF WORK
• Develop agents for the biological control of diseases and other micro-organisms of
industrial interest. Domestication of micro-organisms (includes production, formulation and
improvement).
• Evaluate spoilage control physicochemical systems.
• Study host/pathogen/environment interactions in order to establish control actions that are
more ecofriendly. Develop disease prediction models.

54. PLANT PRODUCTION
GENOMICS AND
BIOTECHNOLOGY
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
• Research in plants genomics and in vitro cultivation of horticultural and fruit-
growing species:
• Use of molecular markers for varietal identification and marker-assisted selection of
horticultural, fruit-growing and ornamental species.
• Fruit-growing and horticultural genomics.
• In vitro cultivation techniques to obtain diplo-haploid lines in horticultural and
ornamental species.
• Genetic transformation of rice, tobacco, melon, tomato, pepper and grapevines.
• Genetic improvement of ornamental species.
• Technology transfer to the private sector.

55. PLANT PRODUCTION
GENOMICS AND Cabrils
BIOTECHNOLOGY
In Vitro Cultivation
OBJECTIVES
Use of in vitro cultivation techniques to facilitate and complement genetic improvement.
LINES OF WORK
• Micropropagation in Pyrusspp, Prunus spp. and Malus spp. as well as in recalcitrant species
such as walnut and pistachio. Embryo rescue.
• Rescue of immature parthenogenetic embryos used for the production of haploids of carnation,
melon, cucumber, watermelon and courgette, and to produce individuals from crossing between
early varieties of peach and nectarine.
• Generation of double haploid and polyploid lines. Production of double haploid lines for pepper,
aubergine, melon, cucumber, watermelon, courgette and carnations, used to accelerate the
acquisition of new hybrid varieties. Generation of tetraploids in ornamental species, melon and
watermelon.
• Genetic transformation. Fine tuning genetic transformation methods for rice, grapevines, melon,
tomato, tobacco and pepper.
• Coexistence and genetic flux. Prediction of GMO content in coexisting rice and maize fields.

56. PLANT PRODUCTION
Cabrils
GENOMICS AND
BIOTECHNOLOGY CRAG
Genomics
OBJECTIVES
Activities concentrate on three crops: Prunus, strawberry and melon. Additionally, the
programme has a genetic improvement line for geraniums and joint research units with private
companies.
LINES OF WORK
• Melon genomics. Sequencing the melon genome. Characterisation of QTLs for fruit quality
traits. Transcriptomic study of fruit development. Characterisation of CMV resistance. Obtaining
a vector for virus induced genetic silencing (VIGS).
• Prunus genomics. Prunus genetic mapping and QTLs analysis for traits of agronomical interest.
Genetic variability and associated genetic studies. Comparative genomics between species of
the Rosacea family.
• Strawberry genomics. Genetic mapping of diploid and octoploid strawberry plants. NILs for the
study of QTLs. Synteny studies between strawberry and other Rosacea species.
• Geranium genetic improvement. Collaboration with Cultius Roig S.A.T, obtaining new geranium
varieties: ‘zonale’, ‘peltatum’ and ‘grandiflorum’.
• Fitó-IRTA Joint Unit. Collaboration with Semillas Fitó S.A., development of molecular markers,
identification of varieties and production of double haploid lines (DHLs).
• PLANASA-IRTA Joint Unit. Collaboration with PLANASA, genetic improvement of fruit quality
and selection of new pathogen-resistant varieties of strawberry, fruit trees, asparagus and
garlic.

57. AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
Agri-food Markets
AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
Micro-Economic Analysis of the Agri-
Food Sector
Agri-food Economy Information
Systems
NATURAL RESOURCE AND AGRI-
Natural Resource Economics
FOOD DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
Sustainable Development

58. AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Analyse socio-economic aspects related to the production, transformation,
distribution and consumption of food.
Help improve understanding of the main determining factors of decisions related
to the production and investment of agricultural producers.
Study the potential economic impact of agricultural policies on a micro and macro
level.
Characterise and understand food consumer behaviour better.

59. AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
CREDA
AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
Agri-Food Markets
OBJECTIVES
Study the functions of agri-food markets functioning from their internal structure as well as from
the consequences of changes in external factors (raw material prices, political decisions,
commercial liberalisation agreements, etc.).
LINES OF WORK
• Impact of agricultural policies on decisions about production, investment, land distribution,
farmers' income and the use of inputs.
• Analysis of price transmission processes in the commercial chain as well as between highly
separated markets.
• Competitively analysis: Foreign trade, agri-food industry, trade liberalisation impact, product
and/or brand positioning, business strategies, etc.

60. AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
CREDA
AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
Micro-Economic Analysis of the Agri-Food Sector
OBJECTIVES
Analyse the determining factors and consequences of production and consumption decisions
made by agents in the economy (producers, industry, and consumers).
LINES OF WORK
• Production decisions: factors that determine the adoption of innovations, productive
efficiency studies, investment decisions, inputs demand, production decisions in an
uncertain environment, risk analysis, etc.
• Demand analysis: calculation of elasticities, impact of information on food safety, impact of
information on health, elaboration of diet quality indexes, impact of price policies to reduce
obesity, food habits.
• Consumer behaviour: Marketing research, consumers, distributors, focus groups,
knowledge relation, attitudes, purchase of different food, new study methodologies,
selection experiments and experimental auctions.

61. AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
CREDA
AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
Agri-food Economy Information Systems
OBJECTIVES
Attempt to establish data-gathering systems to make it available to agents that take part in the
agri-food system.
LINES OF WORK
• Micro and macro analysis of sectors: sector surveys, prospective studies, etc.
• Benchmarking: creation of benchmark sector markers in relation to exploitation in order
to make decisions.

62. AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
NATURAL RESOURCE AND AGRI- CREDA
FOOD DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Valuation of the economic impact of the environmental consequences of agricultural
and food activities.
Analysis of the economic impact of measures taken to improve the sustainability of
the agri-food system.

63. AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
NATURAL RESOURCE AND AGRI- CREDA
FOOD DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
Natural Resource Economics
OBJECTIVES
Carry out research on the economic and environmental impact of projects: economic
assessment of positive, negative and valuation externalities of non-market goods.
LINES OF WORK
• Studies on the willingness to pay for environmental quality improvement. Agricultural
multifunctionality. Introduction of biofuels and their economic impact. Adoption of
ecofriendly technologies. Evaluation of the impact of environmental policies.

64. AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS
NATURAL RESOURCE AND AGRI- CREDA
FOOD DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
Sustainable Development
OBJECTIVES
Agriculture for development, consequences of trade liberalisation for developing countries,
impact of new technologies in developed and developing countries, fair trade, etc.
LINES OF WORK
• Impact of new technologies on rural communities in developing countries.
Evaluation of the economic impact of trade policies, with special emphasis on
rural development. Impact of different commercialisation strategies on the
financial margins of farmers in developing countries.

65. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
INTEGRAL ORGANIC WASTE
Environmental Technology
MANAGEMENT Agricultural Characterisation and Assessment
Management, Planning and Decision
Making Tools
Biodiversity
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
Global Change
ENVIRONMENTAL Ecophysiology
HORTICULTURE Biosystems Engineering and Agronomy
Agrosilviculture
ECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION AND Ecological Production and Bioenergy
BIOENERGY
Efficient Use of Water
EFFICIENT USE OF WATER

66. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
INTEGRAL ORGANIC WASTE
MANAGEMENT
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Develop new knowledge and technologies in the field of sustainable organic
waste management produced by different activity sectors (agricultural, farming,
industry and urban waste), bringing in an integrated and comprehensive focus of
the problem, and technological and management solutions.

67. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
INTEGRAL ORGANIC WASTE GIRO-CT
MANAGEMENT
Environmental Technologies
OBJECTIVES
Study and develop the transformation of organic waste in liquid, solid or gas form.
LINES OF WORK
• Composting. New applications. Markers to compare systems. Biofiltration and process control
methods. Hygiene and safety conditions in composting plants and relation with incoming
materials and process control. Mathematical process modelling.
• Anaerobic digestion. Tools for the quick diagnosis of digesters and digestible waste. Models to
integrate knowledge, simulation, diagnosis and optimisation. Simple calibration models for
diagnosis and optimisation. Pre-treatments to increase biodegradability. Toxic effect reduction
methods. Biological production of hydrogen. Application of advanced reactors to treat organic
waste.
• Process innovation. Microbiological aspects and development of diagnosis tools. Population
dynamics in biological reactors. Processes to eliminate or recover nutrients. Bioelectricity.
Bioremediation of soil and aquifer contaminants. Combined treatment systems. Combinations
of biological, physical and chemical processes based on the resulting products. Evaluation
methods for combined management and treatment systems.

68. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
INTEGRAL ORGANIC WASTE GIRO-CT
MANAGEMENT
Agricultural Characterisation and Assessment
OBJECTIVES
Develop and apply characterisation methods for residual organic materials and study the
agricultural valuation of organic by-products, whether from a productive or a transformation
process.
LINES OF WORK
• Development of new methods to determine the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in solid and
heterogeneous samples.
• Development of quick analysis and diagnosis methods.
• Characterisation of organic by-products and their dynamics in cultivated soils.
• Development of chemical and physicochemical analysis methods to characterise organic by-
products that can be used as fertilisers.
• Development of laboratory methods for the quick characterisation of organic by-product
dynamics applicable to cultivated soils.
• Optimisation of methods to characterise, in field conditions, the dynamics of the used by-
products.

69. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
INTEGRAL ORGANIC WASTE GIRO-CT
MANAGEMENT
Management, Planning and Decision Making Tools
OBJECTIVES
Study of organic waste management methods and the development of evaluation methods for
management and treatment alternatives.
LINES OF WORK
• Develop methods for decision-making in the lines of work to be followed in specific
geographic areas to define management and action plans.
• Develop decision-making methods for the best technology to use according to the problem to
be solved.
• Analyse costs and benefits for activities that produce and use organic waste. Use of life cycle
analysis tools.

70. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Carry out research on worldwide changes made to continental and coastal aquatic
ecosystems and integrate the data resulting from observations, experiments and
models in order to improve the predictive capacity of its future evolution. Use the
acquired knowledge to propose necessary management measures to mitigate the
negative effects of global change on biodiversity.
Carry out research on the connection between fluvial, deltaic (estuaries) and
marine processes, especially in the context of the final stretch of the river Ebro
and its delta:
• Water flows and pulses, sediments, nutrients and contaminants.
• Structure and dynamics of habitats and populations.
• Impact of climate change.
• Modelling ecosystems and management models.

71. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
Sant Carles de la Ràpita
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
Biodiversity
OBJECTIVES
Analyse the structure and dynamics of aquatic species as well as of their conservation
status and the measures to improve them from the perspective of worldwide change.
LINES OF WORK
• Ecological status markers of water masses.
• Ecology of fish and invertebrates.
• Invading species in aquatic ecosystems.
• Sustainable fishing management.
• Pest control (black fly, zebra mussel, etc.).
• Biology of the conservation of endangered species.
• Management and restoration of wetlands.

72. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
Sant Carles de la Ràpita
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
Global Change
OBJECTIVES
Analyse of the causes and consequences of global change on aquatic ecosystems from
the perspective of hydrographic basins in the Mediterranean.
LINES OF WORK
• Impact of climate change on deltas.
• Alterations of the water flows, sediments and contaminants in river basins.
• Effects of global change on trophic networks.
• Eutrophication of rivers, coastal lakes and bays.
• Microalgae as global change markers.
• Production of biofuel from microalgae.
• Management of sediment in rivers and reservoirs.

73. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
ENVIRONMENTAL
HORTICULTURE
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Consider the problem and the solution as part of the scenario, since both are part
of a complicated biodiversity network and changes affect the whole system to a
larger or lesser extent.
Effects of global change on agriculture.
Productive traceability: effects of production systems on product quality and
environmental respect.

74. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
ENVIRONMENTAL Torre Marimon
HORTICULTURE
CREAF
Ecophysiology
OBJECTIVES
Discover the responses of neoformed, cultivated, native and foreign plants to different
environmental abiotic and biotic stresses and their time and space combination (global change)
in the Mediterranean habitat.
LINES OF WORK
• Characterisation of plant material under stress conditions in horticulture, gardening and
landscape restoration. Synergy of stresses. Hydraulic compatibility. Biomass allocation.
• Study on the effects of global change on the landscape, with special emphasis on the
agriculture. Climate/crop/factor relation. Intra and interspecific competence factors. Outlet and/or
flow regulation functions.
• Study on the effects of environmental contaminants on urban and/or peri-urban, natural or
garden plants. Use of recycled and phreatic water. Minimum irrigation technique. Tensioactive
and other biotic or abiotic contaminants.
• Stress diagnosis techniques in horticultural plants. Uses in agronomy.
• Woody species nursery. Hardening and productivity maintenance methods.

75. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
ENVIRONMENTAL Torre Marimon
HORTICULTURE
Biosystems Engineering and Agronomy
OBJECTIVES
Study methods and systems that optimise horticultural crop productivity in Mediterranean
conditions: biophysics, agronomy and life cycle analysis.
LINES OF WORK
• Natural ventilation of greenhouses, temperature control techniques and design of mechanisms.
Visualisation of fluids in scale models. Calculation of the ventilation rate. Direct measures for air
renovation. Use of CO2. Cooling by water evaporation. Calculation of cooling caused by crop
transpiration. Greenhouse light transmission and more transparent covering materials.
• Study non-soil cultivation techniques in intensive Mediterranean systems, optimisation of the
efficient use of water and nutrients in intensive agrosystems. Automated fertirrigation management
and improving root system functionalism. Root system oxygenation. Recirculation of nutrient
solutions. Physical and chemical sensors to optimise fertirrigation in intensive crops.
• Horticultural crops on natural soil. Agronomic techniques and systems. Valuation of substrata and
by-products. Native soil substrata production methods.
• Composting. Effects as a nutrient and biostimulant. Life cycle analysis and environmental
evaluation of the impact of horticultural and agricultural activity.

76. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
Torre Marimon
ENVIRONMENTAL
HORTICULTURE
Agrosilviculture
OBJECTIVES
Develop forest base material for its productive adaptation to different ecologies. Quality wood
production and restoration of agroforest environments.
LINES OF WORK
• Characterisation and validation of forest materials according to their use in afforestation and
reforestation of agricultural land. Effects of origin (genotypic and phenotypic factors).
• Agronomy and silviculture of agroforest plantations. Effects on the product (fruit/wood), crop
rotation and potential environmental functions.
• Productive evaluation of forest plantations under intensive management. Effects on wood
quality.

77. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
ECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION AND
BIOENERGY
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Improve production, transformation and commercialisation systems of agrarian
products using sustainable and ecofriendly methods, especially those that are set
out in European regulations on ecological production.
Improve the production processes of raw materials and their valuation for energy
use, as well as develop new transformation methods and improve the efficiency of
transformation.

78. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
Sant Carles de la Ràpita
ECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION AND Field Station
BIOENERGY Mas Badia
CREAF
GIRO-CT
Ecological Production and Bioenergy
Lleida
LINES OF WORK in ecological production: Field Station
• Improve plant production systems without using chemically Lleida
synthesised fertilisers or pesticides.
• Improve ecological products of animal origin from non-intensive Torre Marimon
stockbreeding, with a high level of animal welfare and ecological
feed.
• Improve transformation processes using new techniques that
minimise contamination and quality losses, limiting the use of
additives and technological additives.
• Market analysis of ecological products, evaluating their position
in the market and their acceptation by the consumer.
LINES OF WORK in bioenergy:
• Evaluation and valuation of raw materials and by-products for
energy use. (biomass, biofuels, methane, etc.).
• Development and optimisation of new energy transformation
processes.

79. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
EFFICIENT USE OF WATER
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Provide information and new knowledge that are useful to improve water
management, specifically in relation to irrigation.

80. ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE
UdL-IRTA Foundation
EFFICIENT USE OF WATER Mas Badia
Field Station
Lleida
Field Station
Efficient Use of Water
LINES OF WORK
• Efficient use of water. Determination of the water requirements of crops and irrigation
programming methods. Improving irrigation efficiency. Water production functions. Irrigation
economics. Irrigation water quality.
• Water management in deficit conditions. Physiology of water deficits in plants. Seasonal
sensitivity to water deficits. Mitigation of water deficits. Process modelling.
• Irrigation engineering. Sensor system to respond to water deficits. Environmental sensor
system. Sensor-based irrigation programming. Communication systems. Data management.
• Mineral and irrigation nutrition. Nutrient requirements of plants. Nutrient use strategies.
Fertirrigation, seasonal sensitivity. Mineral nutrition and production quality.
• Regional scale irrigation control. Water condition zone analysis based on teledetection.
Irrigation management in irrigated communities. Models in the use of water in changing
climate scenarios.