From May 18 to 22, 2026, the University of Lleida (Spain) will organize a specialization diploma course on technologies and production innovations in cherry and hazelnut cultivation. During an intensive week, participants will combine lectures delivered by internationally renowned professors and researchers with visits to major companies in the fruit and agri-industrial sector, where they will have the opportunity to learn about successful innovation experiences and establish contacts and business meetings with marketing operators, producers and input suppliers.
The goal is to connect fruit companies with technological progress and the production reality of Spain and Europe through a technical-academic tour that will allow participants to learn, understand and update their knowledge on the different agronomic management practices used in European cherry and hazelnut production, using the most recent technologies and production innovations available worldwide.
Acquire the knowledge needed to make informed decisions regarding the selection of different technological tools and prepare organizations for their adoption. Join the more than 200 professionals who have already taken part in this training opportunity and prepare your company for the fruit growing of the future.
During an intensive week, participants will combine lectures delivered by professors and researchers with visits to important companies in the fruit and agri-industrial sector, where they will have the opportunity to learn about successful innovation experiences and establish contacts and business meetings with marketing operators, producers and input suppliers.
Experimental farm managed by the renowned consultant Javier de Pablo. During this visit we will explore:
1. Early cherry varieties from the Sweet, Nimba and Pacific lines.
2. Greenhouse cherry management and production.
3. Hyper-extensive experimental cultivation with 10,000 plants per hectare in a planting system designed for the mechanization of farm management.
We will visit a 2,200-hectare vineyard, entirely located within a single estate, to experience firsthand the successful implementation of precision agriculture. This project has been supported and advised by a group of academics and professors from the Diploma in Production Technologies and Innovations at the University of Lleida.
This agricultural cooperative, with more than 125 years of history, has 2,665 members and producers of hazelnuts, nuts and olive oil. It is the largest hazelnut producer in Spain in Europe, a leader in the implementation of technologies in its processes and a benchmark for its corporate structure and governance. Thanks to a team of highly qualified professionals, it is at the forefront of transferring knowledge and technologies to its members. We will visit one of their experimental farms, where several trials are carried out on hyper-intensive production models, rootstocks, training systems and other technologies that are later transferred to the members.
An extraordinary experience focused on innovation in fruit growing. We will visit a cherry-producing company that uses greenhouses and cultivation tunnels capable of advancing production by up to two months, and we will see firsthand how orchards with different cherry varieties are managed. We will also discover their experience in creating ecological spaces where steppe birds and other species reproduce naturally.
1. Producer and exporter of early cherries in the Tarragona area.
2. 450 hectares with early varieties such as Nimba, Red Pacific, Sweet Aryana and Sweet Heart, as well as other low-chill varieties.
3. Export of more than 3,000 tons to over 20 countries in Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.
4. Pioneers in the implementation of AI in production and packaging.
For registrations and information: https://www.misioncomercialeducativa.com/
19 Sep 2023
The PGI project includes numerous cultivars, including as many as 14 native varieties registered and protected by the Regional Germplasm Bank considered to be at risk of extinction, and are also included in the Cesto Pisano list of food and wine products of excellence.
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