Seed of knowledge to fertilize the ground – kudupinter World News Network

In a land of cereals, long considered the “breadbasket of Spain”, where the work of farmers and breeders continues to stimulate the economy and has given birth to a powerful and growing agro-industrial sector, university knowledge also provides its grain of fertilizer. And precisely from “ … need to transfer knowledge from university to farmers and businesses” Itagra was born 25 years ago. The Agricultural and Agri-Food Technology Center, whose first seed was planted in 2000 by a group of professors from the Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineering of Palencia. Today, after blowing out the candles of a quarter of a century, it is still on the campus on the banks of the Carrión because “for us it is important to continue in Palencia and from here we have a national and international reach in the agricultural sector”, says its director, Asier Saiz Rojo.

A technology center created as a private non-profit association focused on R&D&i (Research, Development and Innovation) and formation of companies, cooperatives, associations and institutions, the common point of which is that they are all linked to the agricultural sector, considered from different points of view. And it addresses agriculture and livestock breeding, but also the environment, forestry and the agri-food industry. Thus, members range from the agri-food industries to wineries, cooperatives or manufacturers for companies in this sector, including machines, fertilizers or seeds.

And it is also present on several technological platforms, which offers “key added value for the development of collaborative projects”. Furthermore, in its desire to “federate synergies” within the sector, Itagra constitutes itself as an innovative agricultural group, through the Junta de Castilla y León, in collaboration with its Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, in order to “attempt to promote” collectively R&D&I among agricultural companies.

The director of this technological center, “recognized and registered at the regional and national level – he emphasizes –” emphasizes that “It’s not very common” to specialize in agriculture, livestock and the environment.

And with a clear vocation: “Serve as support to businesses in improving their competitiveness through the culture of innovation, facilitating channels for optimizing profits and reducing costs through technological solutions. Itagra has its own agricultural laboratory that offers “a wide variety of analyzes to companies and individuals” on soils, fertilizers, seeds, animal feed, human food, oenology… And they also highlight their “powerful” training department, in which they provide knowledge related to these subjects to technicians and people interested in joining the sector.

Here they perform “agronomic experimentation in microcosm as well as on a real scale” with varieties, fertilizers, cultivation techniques or phytosanitary products. They also develop and test agricultural equipment and new agri-food and wine products. Genetic identification, “in vitro” culture or waste recovery – by composting, biogas, bioenergy or phytopurification – are also part of the broad portfolio of services offered by this specialized center, approved by the Council as a Technical Control Station for Phytosanitary Application Equipment.

Diversified profile

The profile of its workers is therefore “very diverse”, although always linked to agriculture and the environment. Agronomists and forestry engineers, agricultural and biotechnology technicians or biologists They constitute the varied ecosystem of Itagra staff, currently made up of more than thirty professionals. And this variety makes it possible to create multidisciplinary work teams, “which offer a global vision of projects and therefore technological solutions adapted to the needs and opportunities of companies”.

One of the center's laboratories — One of the center’s laboratories

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From financing with public funds to collaboration with companies

“Phos4cycle: Monitoring phosphates in agricultural and livestock activities for sustainable use of soil and water”. The name is a project that they do not forget in Itagra, and they have participated in numerous projects, financed with public funds from various European calls like Horizonte, Life or Interreg. This is included in the last, but if they remember it for something in particular at the Palencia Technological Center, it is because “it was the first that was created one hundred percent in Itagra”, which was also responsible for coordinating its execution from here, emphasizes its director, Asier Saiz Rojo. Itagra does not only rely on public resources, because it also works with companies, from the closest environment, but also national and with an international presence. This is the case, he emphasizes, of Repsol, with whom they already have four years of renewed “commitment”. It began by evaluating sulfur, a waste generated in its industries “as a fertilizer amendment” and currently this collaboration has led to the evaluation of other products such as biochar (enriched coal produced by heating organic materials) or the application of new pest and pest control systems with gas burners.

It has a team specialized in field work which, like farmers, but from a scientific and technical point of view, cultivates its crops. And the field workers themselves also collaborate with Itagra, so “they help us in the daily conduct of our trials, so we are directly connected to the sector,” says Asier Saiz. And there is also a training team which goes from course management to its teaching team. It reached more than 3,000 students last year.

As a non-profit association, this Agricultural and Agri-Food Technology Center is financed by the execution of projects. Currently, it does not benefit from non-repayable subsidies, but rather carries out R&D&i projects for companies and public administrations, which are those which inject funds for its operation.. Its current budget reaches 2.5 million euros. Indeed, its director highlights their participation in important international projects, “and all since Palencia, where this center was created 25 years ago”, underlines Asier Saiz.

A quarter of a century during which Itagra’s work “has evolved and required an update of the means, equipment and tools used”, because “as in the rest of the sectors, we must integrate the use of new technologies into our work”, notes Asier Saiz. “However, there is a part of our work in which we preserve the traditional way of working, just like the rest of the farmers,” he adds, emphasizing their still close bond.

And they look to the future, now that they have blown out the candles of a quarter of a century of existence. “The main challenge is to grow and expand our facilities to be able to expand our staff and have more resources for the execution of projects,” says its director.

Evolution

But they don’t just set goals for how they operate. They are rural and live from the natural environment, so in Itagra they are clear that “At the technical level, we must get involved in the major challenges of the future of agriculture.” Thus, improving productivity, developing new alternative crops and adapting to climate change are already part of the roadmap to follow. Also waste management, the bioeconomy or the incorporation of new technologies into the activity, lists its manager.

And it has a “social commitment” to its environment, such that among its objectives is the “promotion” of regional development, for which it is part of various institutions for the protection of the rural environment. In addition, it designs and executes projects for the benefit of the productive activities closest to it. Still in this “close” relationship with the University of Valladolid, in particular with the Palencia campus, where a half-century-old project began to germinate.