Raquel Pastor de los Bueis, PhD in Biosystems Engineering from the University of León, has been the winner of the Fertiberia Award for the Best Doctoral Thesis on Agricultural Issues for her thesis entitled “Development of formulations for the application of plant microbial biostimulants based on autochthonous microorganisms for agri-food products with high added value”.
Likewise, in this edition an accesit equally a Veronica Costa Oliveirawith a PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering from the University of Aveiro, for his thesis “Phosphorus recovery from solid urban waste with a view to its recovery as fertilizer”, and Alejandra Cristina Rodriguez Chaves, for his thesis “Agronomic tools to optimize N management in greenhouse horticultural crops with fertigation”, defended at the University of Almería.
In addition to its academic prestige, the Fertiberia Prize is one of the best financially endowed agronomic research awards in Europe, with a global amount of 30,000 euros. The call also recognizes thesis directors which, in this edition, have been professors Fernando González Andrés, for the winning thesis, as well as Célia Ferreira, Carmo Horta, João Labrincha and Rodney B. Thompson, directors of the works distinguished with the second prize equally.
Specifically, in this edition, the author of the winning thesis has received 14,000 euros, while her thesis supervisor, 8,000 euros. For their part, the authors of the works awarded with the second prize equally 2,500 euros have corresponded to him and to his thesis supervisors, 1,500 euros.
At the event, held at the company’s corporate headquarters in Madrid, Javier Goñi, President of Grupo Fertiberiahas highlighted the relevance of an award like this, since “at Fertiberia we are leading the green hydrogen and ammonia revolution in Europe, which will lead us to be the first carbon-neutral company in the sector in the world by 2035, and This path requires so much intelligence and so much talent that it is necessary to support and encourage the people and institutions that are dedicated to expanding the frontiers of knowledge”.
He jury of this edition, chaired by the dean of the Official College of Agricultural Engineers of the Center and the Canary Islands (COIACC), Francisco González Torres, has been made up of the president of Grupo Fertiberia, Javier Goñi; the head of the Seed and Nursery Plant Testing Station of the National Institute for Agricultural Research and Technology (INIA), Ana Patricia Fernández-Getino; the professor of Animal Production at the University of Valladolid, Jesús Ciria; the Director of Market Studies and Research at Grupo Fertiberia, Pilar García-Serrano; and the director of R+D+i of Grupo Fertiberia, Javier Brañas.
During the closing ceremony, the secretary general of Research, Raquel Yotti, has underlined the importance of supporting the careers of young researchers in Spain, has exposed the advances that the new Law on Science, Technology and Innovation has made for young researchers, and has thanked the continued and consolidated commitment of Grupo Fertiberia and the Official College of Agricultural Engineers of the Center and the Canary Islands.
