Guillermo Guardia Vázquez, a professor at the School of Agronomy, Food Science, and Biosystems (ETSIAAB) and a researcher at CEIGRAM in the Research Group on Agroecosystem Pollution from Agricultural Practices (COAPA), was the guest on the latest episode of SomosUPM, the podcast of the Polytechnic University of Madrid. During the conversation, Guillermo addressed one of the major environmental challenges facing modern agriculture: the loss of reactive nitrogen and its impact on soil, water, and the atmosphere.
The researcher explained the work being carried out as part of the MIREN-4R project (Mitigation of Reactive Nitrogen through the 4R Approach in Mediterranean Crops), which focuses on applying the 4R approach(right source, right rate, right time, right place)—to optimize nitrogen fertilization and reduce nitrogen losses, which pose agronomic, environmental, and economic problems. He also highlighted the differences between organic and synthetic fertilizers, emphasizing that nitrogen losses are not necessarily lower when using organic fertilizers.
During the conversation, he also reflected on the importance of degree programs focused on agricultural sustainability—such as the TAPAS master’s program, which he completed as a student and where he now teaches—and on the need to incorporate the economic dimension when addressing the sector’s environmental challenges.
To wrap things up, Guillermo invited another CEIGRAM researcher, Miguel Quemada, to participate in the podcast. We’ll be on the lookout for its release so we can let you know.
You can watch the full episode on the UPM’s YouTube channel, as well as on Spotify and iVoox.
