Dr. Ignasi Iglesias
Technical Manager Agromillora Group

National Fruit Growing Symposium

Fruit production has experienced important changes in the last decades in terms of technology in order to get a better adaptation to constant changes of input prices and market requirements. Global fruit production is characterized by a superior fruit quality demand with increasing quality and more efficient production to reduce the environmental impact of inputs and increase the environmental and growers profit sustainability.

The achieve these objectives an optimum combination of the three pillars for and efficient production combining the best plant material, the optimum training system and the right technology of production, including mechanization, monitorization and robotics are required. First pillar is the most important, in particular the right combination of variety and rootstock for each specific location.

This will result in a reduction of the cost of production, for example providing tolerance/resistance to pest and diseases and high yields of constant/high quality. The second pillar is the optimum training system, mainly related to an optimum canopy accessibility to have an uniform light distribution leading for and increased quality.

The third pillar will allow to use the most efficient technology of fruit production including mechanization for pruning, thinning, harvest and, all new technologies of monitorization with sensors of plant, soil and climate as a tool for efficient input use (fertilizers, water and pesticides). In addition, robotics for harvest, thinning or pruning will play an interesting role in coming years. For their efficient use, planar canopies are absolutely required. An overview all these topics will be presented in the National Fruit Growing Symposium in Marem of Isparta.

Dr. Ignasi Iglesias

is a senior research. During 24 years Dr Iglesias has been a senior researcher working at in the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA-Catalonia, Spain). Currently working as Technical Manager in the global company Agromillora Group since 2018, developing in collaboration with research centers, universities and companies, innovative production models in woody plants, based on the efficiency in the use of inputs for a better environmental and growers profit sustainability.

To achieve it, the integration of advances in genetics, in training systems and technology of fruit production are required for a sustainable intensification. The research and technology transfer of the advances in these topics over the last years, has been part of the research.

He has wide expertise on scion and rootstock assessment on fruit trees having a worldwide fruit production experience on cultivar and rootstock selection and choice. He also has great knowledge of cultivar and rootstock novelties. Intensive work has been done to transfer to information to fruit industry in several countries around the world.

He has published over 207 papers, including original papers on scientific journals/SCI (61), lectures, communications and posters presented at congresses (25), book or books chapters (11) and technological papers (110).