irta corporate presentation

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

Human Resources

717 workersDistributed in our 9 centres

Our cooperative relies on a total of

1,147 people

47%men

53%women

329researchers

388support staff

Resources€46.1 millionTotal resources in 2009

62.38%Own funds

37.62%Contribution

from the Government of

Catalonia

+€10,000,000Invested in 2009

Projects and Contracts in 2009

681 current activities285 companies

have signed contracts

62 agreementswith national and international

organisations

Scientific Material Output

in 2009323 scientific articles

291 papers and posters for conferences

49 technical articles

51 books and articles in books

20 completed PhD theses34 completed undergraduate final

project dissertations3 patents

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

Structure of the IRTA10 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

The Centres

Lleida

IRTA work centresAssociated centresIRTA field stationsAssociated field stationsBranchesCollaborating farms

Torre Marimon

CaliforniaPanama

New Zealand

MonellsCenta

Fruit Centre Lleida Field Station

Mas de Bover

Sant Carles de la Ràpita

Mas Badia Field Station

GIROCReSA

CREAF

CREDA El Prat Field Station

Corporate Services

Ebre Field Station

Alcarràs Field Station

Semega

CRAGCabrils

Llesp

Gandesa

Valls

Gimenells

MollerussaBorges Blanques

Ascó

UdL-IRTA Foundation

Activities in Lleida

AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES

Carcass QualityQuality of Food of Animal Origin

New Preservation TechnologiesAbiotic Food SafetyBiotic Food Safety

Food EngineeringImproving Food Industry Processes

New Processing Technologies in theAgri-Food Industry

FOOD TECHNOLOGY

PRODUCT QUALITY

FOOD SAFETY

FUNCTIONALITY AND NUTRITION Ingredients and Functional MoleculesProteomics and Metabolomics


The programme is focused on answering the technological and research needs ofthe agri-food industry. It is organised into three sub-programmes: FoodEngineering, Process Improvement and New Processing Technologies.

The joint effort of these three sub-programmes is necessary to accomplish theobjectives of the Food Technology Programme, since a good knowledge of themarket, the product and the process is essential to identify the requirements of thesector.

FOOD TECHNOLOGY

GENERAL OBJECTIVES


FOOD TECHNOLOGY

Food Engineering

OBJECTIVESModelling the transformation processes of food. Transport operations (mass, heat and quantity of movement). Process simulation and control. Process engineering.

LINES OF WORK

Monells

• 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.

CENTA


FOOD TECHNOLOGY

Improving Food Industry Processes

OBJECTIVESImprovement of traditional technologies in order to enhance quality, safety and sensorial characteristics of the product or the efficiency of the process.

LINES OF WORK

Monells

• 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.

CENTA


FOOD TECHNOLOGY

New Processing Technologies in the Agri-Food Industry

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Monells

Study of the application of new technologies that have not been used traditionally due to the transformation, control and conservation of food.

• 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.

CENTA


PRODUCT QUALITY

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.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

Monells


PRODUCT QUALITY

Carcass Quality

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

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.

• 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.

Monells


PRODUCT QUALITY

Quality of Food of Animal Origin

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

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.

• 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.

Monells


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.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

FOOD SAFETYMonells

CENTA


New Preservation Technologies

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

FOOD SAFETY

Study microbial cellular inactivation and cellular response to stress by high hydrostatic pressure from a triple perspective: proteomics, transcriptomics and predictive microbiology.

Monells

CENTA

• 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.


Abiotic Food Safety

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

FOOD SAFETY

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.

Monells

CENTA

• 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).

Biotic Food Safety

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

FOOD SAFETY

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.

Monells

CENTA

• 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.



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.

Monells



Ingredients and Functional Molecules

OBJECTIVES

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.

Monells

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.



Proteomics and Metabolomics

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORKDifferential 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.

Monells

Study the effect of genetics in gene expression/proteins associated to the technological and sensory quality of the meat and derived meat products.

ANIMAL PRODUCTION

Animal Welfare

Ruminants

Monogastric Nutrition

Marine Environment Monitoring

Poultry BreedingRabbit BreedingPig Genetics and Improvement

ANIMAL GENETICS AND IMPROVEMENT

ANIMAL NUTRITION, HEALTH AND WELFARE

AQUACULTURE

ANIMAL HEALTH

Aquatic Cultures

Animal Health

ANIMAL PRODUCTION


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.

ANIMAL PRODUCTION


Poultry Breeding

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

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.

• 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.

Mas de Bover

ANIMAL PRODUCTION


Rabbit Breeding

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Creation, selection and improvement of specialised lines of meat rabbits for production, reproduction and adaptation uses.

• 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.

Torre Marimon

Lleida

Prat Field Station

ANIMAL PRODUCTION


Pig Genetics and Improvement

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Research genetic statistics and structural and functional genomics in order to study aspects of economic and social interest and the genetic improvement of pigs.

• 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.).

Monells

Lleida

ANIMAL PRODUCTION


GENERAL OBJECTIVES

Research and innovation in animal nutrition, welfare and health, threeessential aspects for food safety and end product quality.

The challenge is bringing sustainability to animal production under the newdispositions and requirements of the European Union. Therefore, researchvalues new alternatives to growth promoter antibiotics, and generatesknowledge about the conditions of animal digestive processes in situationsthat compromise animal welfare. The programme also aims to study how toimprove animal welfare under the new conditions required by the new animalproduction model.

ANIMAL PRODUCTION


Animal Welfare

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

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.

• 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.

Monells

Mas de Bover

ANIMAL PRODUCTION


Ruminants

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Improve profitability and competitiveness of ruminant farms using technological innovation.

• 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.

Torre Marimon

SEMEGA

Prat Field Station

ANIMAL PRODUCTION


Monogastric Nutrition

OBJECTIVES

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.

Mas de Bover

Prat Field Station

Alcarràs Field Station

Valls Research Farm

Offer solutions to all nutritional problems. Special priorities: food safety, animal health andwelfare, quality and nutritional and sensory characteristics of products of animal origin, theeffect of intensive production on the environment, characterisation and use of new ingredientsand food systems, the development and registration of new additives in animal feeds.

ANIMAL PRODUCTION

AQUACULTURE

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

Carry out strategic research in aquaculture, facilitating the efficient transfer to the sector and to the administration.

ANIMAL PRODUCTION

AQUACULTURE

Marine Environment Monitoring

OBJECTIVESMarine environment monitoring of food production and safety of shellfish to reduce the risk of foodpoisoning caused by eating shellfish. Valuation of marine products. Design and implementation ofthe Quality Monitoring Programme for Water, Molluscs and Toxic Phytoplankton in shellfishproduction areas on the Catalan coast, including environmental parameters, microbiologicalmarkers (E. Coli), toxic phytoplankton and marine toxins, contaminants, heavy metals,organochlorines, HAPs, dioxins.


• Food safety in aquaculture products.

• Studies on harmful microalgae (population dynamics, taxonomy, cultures, toxinicproduction).

• Isolation of toxins and substances that are biologically active (chromatography, LC-MS/MS, biosensors, cytotoxicity). Contaminants.

• Coastal oceanography.

LINES OF WORK

ANIMAL PRODUCTION

AQUACULTURE

Aquatic CulturesOBJECTIVESDevelop research on new aquatic species or processes to improve the quality andproductivity of commercial species. Focus efforts on aquatic systems and species usingboth production and sustainability approaches. Achieve interdisciplinarity with synergiesbetween research lines and programmes.

LINES OF WORKRearing 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 enrichmentemulsion design. Design and formulation of microdiets for larva phases.Detection and identification of zoonotic bacterial pathogens. Study of riskfactors in relation to aquatic production systems. Design and application ofsanitary management programmes. Experimental infection trials. Efficiencyand safety trials for sanitary products. Studies in the environmental impact ofaquaculture activities. Viability studies of commercial projects. Design andadaptation of facilities.


ANIMAL PRODUCTION

ANIMAL HEALTH

OBJECTIVES

CReSA

Technology research and development, studies and training on all aspects of animal health.

• Develop animal health research and development programmes.

• Introduce scientific progress into the sector

• Provide technology research and development services using approved research anddevelopment programmes.

• Advise companies in the agri-food field, public administration and give support in the field ofanimal health.

• Organise scientific and technical training programmes.

LINES OF WORK

PLANT PRODUCTION

Pip and Stone FruitOlive Production, Oil Processing and Nut TreesGenetic Improvement of Cereals

Post-Harvest Physiology

Processed Fruits and VegetablesPost-Harvest Technology

POST HARVEST

FRUIT PRODUCTION

FIELD CROPS

GENOMICS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

EntomologySUSTAINABLE PLANT PROTECTION

Field Crops Agronomy

Plant PathologyPost-Harvest Pathology

In Vitro Cultivation

Genomics

PLANT PRODUCTION

POST HARVEST

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

Study fruit and vegetables after gathering to improve processes and technologies that contribute to a more profitability and better product quality.

Lleida

UdL-IRTA Foundation

PLANT PRODUCTION

POST HARVEST

Post-Harvest Physiology

OBJECTIVES

Study the biochemical physiology of fruit under stress and/or during conservation.

LINES OF WORK

Lleida

UdL-IRTA Foundation

• 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.

PLANT PRODUCTION

POST HARVEST

Processed Fruits and Vegetables

OBJECTIVESStudy the microbiology of minimally processed fruit and vegetables, focussing on food transmission pathogens.

LINES OF WORK

Lleida

UdL-IRTA Foundation

• 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.

PLANT PRODUCTION

POST HARVEST

Post-Harvest Technology

OBJECTIVESStudy 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.

Lleida

UdL-IRTA Foundation

PLANT PRODUCTION

FRUIT PRODUCTION

GENERAL OBJECTIVESContribute, 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).

PLANT PRODUCTION

FRUIT PRODUCTION

Pip and Stone Fruit

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Study apple, pear, peach, prune and apricot species and apply the general objectives of the programme.

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.

Lleida Field Station

Ebre Field Station


PLANT PRODUCTION

FRUIT PRODUCTION

Olive Production, Oil Processing and Nut Trees

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Study of olive, almond, hazelnut, carob, pistachio and fig species, applying the generalobjectives of the programme and developing models that describe improvements related to postharvest, transformation, elaboration, nutritional value and quality of food (olive oil, nuts andcarob gum).

Mas de Bover

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 newtechnologies for oil extraction. 2. Post-harvest conditioning techniques of nuts. 3. Classificationand 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 inolive tree varieties. 7. Functional molecules.

Ebre Field Station


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.

PLANT PRODUCTION

FIELD CROPS

Winter Cereal Genetic Improvement

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Lleida


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.

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.

PLANT PRODUCTION

FIELD CROPS

Field Crops Agronomy

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Lleida

Ebre Field Station

Mas BadiaField Station

• 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.

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.

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.

PLANT PRODUCTION


Entomology

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

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.

Cabrils


UdL-IRTA Foundation

• 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.

EbreField Station

PLANT PRODUCTION


Plant Pathology

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

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.

Cabrils

• 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.

Lleida Field StationMas Badia

Field Station

PLANT PRODUCTION


Post-Harvest Pathology

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

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.

Lleida

• 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.

PLANT PRODUCTION


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.

PLANT PRODUCTION


In Vitro Cultivation

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Cabrils

• 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.

Use of in vitro cultivation techniques to facilitate and complement genetic improvement.

PLANT PRODUCTION


GenomicsOBJECTIVES

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.

Cabrils

CRAG

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.

AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS

Natural Resource Economics

Sustainable Development

Agri-food Markets

Micro-Economic Analysis of the Agri-Food SectorAgri-food Economy Information Systems

AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS

NATURAL RESOURCE AND AGRI-FOOD DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS

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.

AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS

AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS

Agri-Food Markets

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Study the functions of agri-food markets functioning from their internal structure as well as fromthe consequences of changes in external factors (raw material prices, political decisions,commercial liberalisation agreements, etc.).

• 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 highlyseparated markets.

• Competitively analysis: Foreign trade, agri-food industry, trade liberalisation impact, productand/or brand positioning, business strategies, etc.

CREDA

AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS

AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS

Micro-Economic Analysis of the Agri-Food Sector

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Analyse the determining factors and consequences of production and consumption decisionsmade by agents in the economy (producers, industry, and consumers).

• Production decisions: factors that determine the adoption of innovations, productiveefficiency studies, investment decisions, inputs demand, production decisions in anuncertain environment, risk analysis, etc.

• Demand analysis: calculation of elasticities, impact of information on food safety, impact ofinformation on health, elaboration of diet quality indexes, impact of price policies to reduceobesity, 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.

CREDA

AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS

AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS

Agri-food Economy Information Systems

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Attempt to establish data-gathering systems to make it available to agents that take part in the agri-food system.

• 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.

CREDA

AGRI-FOOD 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.

CREDA

AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS


Natural Resource Economics

OBJECTIVESCarry out research on the economic and environmental impact of projects: economicassessment of positive, negative and valuation externalities of non-market goods.

CREDA

LINES OF WORK• Studies on the willingness to pay for environmental quality improvement. Agricultural

multifunctionality. Introduction of biofuels and their economic impact. Adoption ofecofriendly technologies. Evaluation of the impact of environmental policies.

AGRI-FOOD 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.

CREDA

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.

ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CHANGE

Biodiversity

Environmental TechnologyAgricultural Characterisation and AssessmentManagement, Planning and Decision Making Tools

INTEGRAL ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMSGlobal Change

Ecophysiology ENVIRONMENTAL HORTICULTURE Biosystems Engineering and Agronomy

Agrosilviculture

Ecological Production and BioenergyECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION AND BIOENERGY

Efficient Use of WaterEFFICIENT USE OF WATER



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.



Environmental Technologies

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Study and develop the transformation of organic waste in liquid, solid or gas form.

GIRO-CT

• Composting. New applications. Markers to compare systems. Biofiltration and process controlmethods. Hygiene and safety conditions in composting plants and relation with incomingmaterials and process control. Mathematical process modelling.

• Anaerobic digestion. Tools for the quick diagnosis of digesters and digestible waste. Models tointegrate knowledge, simulation, diagnosis and optimisation. Simple calibration models fordiagnosis and optimisation. Pre-treatments to increase biodegradability. Toxic effect reductionmethods. Biological production of hydrogen. Application of advanced reactors to treat organicwaste.

• Process innovation. Microbiological aspects and development of diagnosis tools. Populationdynamics in biological reactors. Processes to eliminate or recover nutrients. Bioelectricity.Bioremediation of soil and aquifer contaminants. Combined treatment systems. Combinationsof biological, physical and chemical processes based on the resulting products. Evaluationmethods for combined management and treatment systems.



Agricultural Characterisation and Assessment

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Develop and apply characterisation methods for residual organic materials and study theagricultural valuation of organic by-products, whether from a productive or a transformationprocess.

• Development of new methods to determine the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in solid andheterogeneous 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-productdynamics applicable to cultivated soils.

• Optimisation of methods to characterise, in field conditions, the dynamics of the used by-products.

GIRO-CT



Management, Planning and Decision Making Tools

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Study of organic waste management methods and the development of evaluation methods for management and treatment alternatives.

• 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.

GIRO-CT


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.


AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Biodiversity

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Analyse the structure and dynamics of aquatic species as well as of their conservationstatus and the measures to improve them from the perspective of worldwide change.


• 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.


AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Global Change

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Analyse of the causes and consequences of global change on aquatic ecosystems fromthe perspective of hydrographic basins in the Mediterranean.


• 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.


ENVIRONMENTAL HORTICULTURE

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

Consider the problem and the solution as part of the scenario, since both are partof a complicated biodiversity network and changes affect the whole system to alarger or lesser extent.

Effects of global change on agriculture.

Productive traceability: effects of production systems on product quality andenvironmental respect.



Ecophysiology

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Discover the responses of neoformed, cultivated, native and foreign plants to differentenvironmental abiotic and biotic stresses and their time and space combination (global change)in the Mediterranean habitat.

Torre Marimon

• Characterisation of plant material under stress conditions in horticulture, gardening andlandscape restoration. Synergy of stresses. Hydraulic compatibility. Biomass allocation.

• Study on the effects of global change on the landscape, with special emphasis on theagriculture. Climate/crop/factor relation. Intra and interspecific competence factors. Outlet and/orflow regulation functions.

• Study on the effects of environmental contaminants on urban and/or peri-urban, natural orgarden plants. Use of recycled and phreatic water. Minimum irrigation technique. Tensioactiveand other biotic or abiotic contaminants.

• Stress diagnosis techniques in horticultural plants. Uses in agronomy.

• Woody species nursery. Hardening and productivity maintenance methods.

CREAF



Biosystems Engineering and Agronomy

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Study methods and systems that optimise horticultural crop productivity in Mediterraneanconditions: biophysics, agronomy and life cycle analysis.

Torre Marimon

• 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 airrenovation. Use of CO2. Cooling by water evaporation. Calculation of cooling caused by croptranspiration. Greenhouse light transmission and more transparent covering materials.

• Study non-soil cultivation techniques in intensive Mediterranean systems, optimisation of theefficient use of water and nutrients in intensive agrosystems. Automated fertirrigation managementand improving root system functionalism. Root system oxygenation. Recirculation of nutrientsolutions. Physical and chemical sensors to optimise fertirrigation in intensive crops.

• Horticultural crops on natural soil. Agronomic techniques and systems. Valuation of substrata andby-products. Native soil substrata production methods.

• Composting. Effects as a nutrient and biostimulant. Life cycle analysis and environmentalevaluation of the impact of horticultural and agricultural activity.



Agrosilviculture

OBJECTIVES

LINES OF WORK

Develop forest base material for its productive adaptation to different ecologies. Quality woodproduction and restoration of agroforest environments.

Torre Marimon

• Characterisation and validation of forest materials according to their use in afforestation andreforestation of agricultural land. Effects of origin (genotypic and phenotypic factors).

• Agronomy and silviculture of agroforest plantations. Effects on the product (fruit/wood), croprotation and potential environmental functions.

• Productive evaluation of forest plantations under intensive management. Effects on woodquality.


ECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION AND BIOENERGY

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

Improve production, transformation and commercialisation systems of agrarianproducts using sustainable and ecofriendly methods, especially those that are setout in European regulations on ecological production.

Improve the production processes of raw materials and their valuation for energyuse, as well as develop new transformation methods and improve the efficiency oftransformation.


ECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION AND BIOENERGY

Ecological Production and Bioenergy

LINES OF WORK in ecological production:

LINES OF WORK in bioenergy:


Lleida

Torre Marimon


• Improve plant production systems without using chemicallysynthesised fertilisers or pesticides.

• Improve ecological products of animal origin from non-intensivestockbreeding, with a high level of animal welfare and ecologicalfeed.

• Improve transformation processes using new techniques thatminimise contamination and quality losses, limiting the use ofadditives and technological additives.

• Market analysis of ecological products, evaluating their positionin the market and their acceptation by the consumer.

• Evaluation and valuation of raw materials and by-products forenergy use. (biomass, biofuels, methane, etc.).

• Development and optimisation of new energy transformationprocesses.

Field Station Mas Badia

CREAF

GIRO-CT


EFFICIENT USE OF WATER

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

Provide information and new knowledge that are useful to improve watermanagement, specifically in relation to irrigation.


EFFICIENT USE OF WATER

Efficient Use of Water

LINES OF WORK

• Efficient use of water. Determination of the water requirements of crops and irrigationprogramming methods. Improving irrigation efficiency. Water production functions. Irrigationeconomics. Irrigation water quality.

• Water management in deficit conditions. Physiology of water deficits in plants. Seasonalsensitivity to water deficits. Mitigation of water deficits. Process modelling.

• Irrigation engineering. Sensor system to respond to water deficits. Environmental sensorsystem. 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 changingclimate scenarios.

UdL-IRTA Foundation

