The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), through the ETSIAAB, organised a technical visit to the Madrid Agroasesor offices of IMIDRA on 23 March, as part of the Service-Learning project ‘Service-Learning for the dissemination of sustainable soil management techniques in horticulture in Villa del Prado’, under the UPM’s 2025–2026 call for Service-Learning (ApS) projects. This project has been training students through this initiative for three consecutive academic years.
The event was held with students from the Master’s Degree in Agro-Environmental Technology for Sustainable Agriculture, as part of the Disease Control module, and provided an opportunity for direct interaction with IMIDRA’s technical agricultural advisory team, comprising specialists in various fields: horticultural crops, arable crops, woody crops, regenerative agriculture, forestry, livestock farming and economic management. The Madrid Agroasesor service offers technical advice to farmers, livestock farmers and forest managers in the Community of Madrid, with the aim of improving the economic profitability and environmental sustainability of their farms.
During the visit, the students were able to gain first-hand insight into how the advisory services operate, as well as the main agricultural challenges identified in the region. This exchange has proved crucial in guiding the practical work they will carry out as part of the ApS project, strengthening the link between academic training and the sector’s real-world needs.
In this context, one of the main areas of work identified has been the sustainable management of gall-forming nematodes in protected horticultural crops in Villa del Prado, considered a key concern for farmers in the municipality. In response, the students will produce an informative newsletter aimed at the technicians at Madrid Agroasesor and the production sector, focusing on ecological management strategies such as biofumigation and biosolarisation, techniques they have learnt in the aforementioned module of the TAPAS Master’s programme.
The project involves lecturers from ETSIAAB – Laura Gálvez and Daniel Palmero – and from CEIGRAM – Esther Hernández and Rubén Moratiel – and is being carried out in close collaboration with the Villa del Prado Horticulturalists’ Association and Madrid Agroasesor (IMIDRA). This collaboration enables the integration of the scientific and technical knowledge generated at the university with the sector’s practical experience and advisory services.
From an educational perspective, the activity helps students develop skills in diagnosing plant health problems, technical communication and knowledge transfer, whilst actively contributing to the production of useful materials for the agricultural sector.
