AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION: AGROINNOVATION OUSTANDING DISSERTATION AWARDS TO SANT’ANNA SCHOOL STUDENTS
The “AgroInnovation Award”, sponsored by Image Line and Accademia dei Georgofili, will be presented on 20 April 2018 for the first time. This distinguished award recognizes an outstanding original contribution from a thesis in agriculture (Agricultural Mechanics, Plant Defense, Plant and Cop Nutrition, Agricultural Meteorology, Agricultural Innovation and Plant Varieties, Information Technology in agri-food sector). The two finalists, Sant’Anna School students Marco Zito and Laura Paladini, will be honored with the opportunity to present their work at the Accademia dei Georgofili 265th official opening of academic year in Florence - Salone dei Cinquecento, Palazzo Vecchio, 10.30 am.
Judging by his innovative dissertation, Marco Zito shows exceptional promise as a Plant Defense researcher. His thesis titled “Valutazione di nuovi formulati feromonici per il controllo di Lepidotteri ed Emitteri in vigneti della Maremma”, focused on mating disruption of pests, Lobesia botrana and Planococcus ficus, using sex pheromone to interfere with reproduction. “Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) and Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) have become a key pest in many regions of the Mediterranean area”, said Zito. “Infestations affect the wine production and control programs usually rely on applications of chemical insecticides. Restrictions in the use of pesticides have led to the development of alternative techniques, as promoted by the EU Directives. Synthetic sex pheromones are therefore widely used by manipulating insect behavior and disrupting sexual communication”.
In the Information Technology in Agriculture category, Laura Paladini, with her thesis on “Satellite crop mapping to better understand agro-ecological zones”, has won the top prize recognizing creativity and innovative thinking. While participating in the Erasmus Program at Wageningen University (Netherlands), Laura Paladini began to develop an interest in remote sensing for monitoring crop production at global and regional scales.
Her dissertation focused on crop mapping and classification in La Muzza (Lombardia region) area using satellite imagery. "Remote sensing data can be used to inform on different components of field crops and their dynamics”, said Paladini. “The aim of this research is to explore the potential of remote sensing in ecological and biodiversity conservation. It is a tool that can be used to design implementation strategies for evidence-based policies, involving organizations, communities, and decision-makers”.
Photo Gallery: Marco Zito and Laura Paladini
