Author Archives: firadelleida

The Sant Miquel-Eurofruit Fair will also host a pairing of fruit and oil by the journalist and gourmet Pep Nogué.

The extra virgin olive oil returns with force to the Sant Miquel Fair and to the Eurofruit show in Lleida. The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Les Garrigues proposes visitors to enjoy a “Walk with the PDO Les Garrigues”, in which, in addition to being able to taste the oil of Lleida with a seal of quality, the most characteristic aromas of the oils (almond, tomato, leaf, etc.) characteristic of the arbequina and its link with the territory can be discovered. Les Garrigues PDO will be present with a stand and various activities at the 64th edition of the Sant Miquel Agricultural Fair and the 33rd edition of the Eurofruit show, events that will take place at the Fira de Lleida exhibition centre from 27 to 30 September.

The public will be able to taste the oils from each of the cooperatives with this seal of quality, as every day there will be present, on a rotating basis, the oil from five of the registered cooperatives, located in their own counters, and will be able to find out everything related to these centenary institutions and their oil. The Les Garrigues PDO stand will also host a sample of oils from all the registered cooperatives, in addition to the active presence of cooperatives, with their own exhibition and direct sale of oil.

Another of the novelties organised by the Regulatory Council is a pairing of fruit and oil, directed by Pep Nogué, journalist and gourmet, specialising in foods with a quality mark. The aim is to raise awareness of the possibilities of preparing fruit dishes, mainly from Lleida, with extra virgin olive oil with DOP Les Garrigues, healthy and essential foods in a healthy and balanced diet.

During the four days of the fair visitors will also have the opportunity to remember and enjoy the healthy snacks of bread with oil DOP Les Garrigues and chocolate and participate in oil draws.

It will host news related to drones, industrial refrigeration, cost management, GPS guidance for agricultural vehicles and farm management.

The Sant Miquel Fair and the Eurofruit show will dedicate a prominent space to precision agriculture —the application of information and communication technologies to agriculture — which allows the acquisition of data on the crop and its environment, its processing to convert it into useful information and the processing and storage of the information obtained for decision-making on the management to be carried out. Precision farming allows farmers and experienced technicians to have detailed information on the characteristics of the crop and its environment (soil, climate, etc.), which helps them to make better informed decisions and improve the profitability of farms by improving their management.

Professionals visiting the 64^th edition of the Sant Miquel Agricultural Fair and the 33rd edition of the Eurofruit show, which will take place from 27^th to 30^th September at the Fira de Lleida, will find a wide range of services related to precision agriculture.

Thus, the large agricultural event will host numerous new developments related to very diverse sectors such as drones, technology increasingly important in the management of agricultural resources – especially agriculture and forestry – and which in this edition will play a special role with the official presentation in Lleida of Dronecoria, a programme aimed at the reforestation of forests burned by means of a drone that intelligently launches seeds and microorganisms in areas devastated by fires, earthquakes or tsunamis.

Precision agriculture will also be manifested in areas such as industrial refrigeration (controlled atmosphere equipment with intelligent electronic sensors to analyse the gases present in the chamber and the degree of ripeness, possible diseases or fungi and other incidents of the fruit; temperature recorders in cold rooms that allow monitoring via mobile phone via Bluetooth, etc.); irrigation systems (long-life hydrants, manure injection systems through the sprinkler system, solar pumping, monitoring of pipes to optimize water demand, etc.).

IT solutions for farm management will also be presented, with software for the technical monitoring of different crops, for the management of costs and resources (machinery, manpower) and for administrative and legal obligations (traceability, field notebooks), as well as advanced GPS guidance systems for agricultural vehicles and applications for farm management that allow farmers to carry out careful cost management (by plot and crop), always with updated data on the computer, smartphone or tablet.

Precision agriculture is gaining ground
Since the fields do not produce exactly the same amount of land over their entire area, the aim of precision agriculture is precisely to manage the plots with this variability in mind, i.e. not in a uniform way but in a specific way, taking into account the different areas of similar characteristics that can be defined. According to a classic definition, precision farming consists of “carrying out the right operation, at the right place, at the right time, in the right way and in the right quantity”.

The practice of precision agriculture can be carried out according to two methodologies: the one based on digital maps of information (from a map of the plot with the distribution of the variables made with GPS, a new one is made showing what to do at each point (intensity of the operation or dose of product to be applied) and the one based on sensors and in real time (data collection, decision and action are carried out in real time while the tractor and the equipment are moving around the plot).

The term precision agriculture encompasses a series of technologies for application in agricultural production, whose common factor is the use of ICT in the rationalization of decision-making and its precise execution. Any task that forms part of the operations necessary for the implantation, development and exploitation of a crop can be carried out using any of the techniques that make up precision agriculture. Since its beginnings in the last decade of the 20th century, precision agriculture has been incorporating new methods and responding to different problems, which has meant that its definition has evolved in accordance with its dynamic nature, characteristic of new technologies.

Broadly speaking, and in accordance with the objectives, precision farming techniques are classified into two main sections: techniques aimed at managing the spatial variability of soil properties and crop condition, and techniques aimed at helping to guide and standardise mechanised operations.

The show will include a stand to answer questions about drones, a space for flight demonstrations and the presentation of the Dronecoria project.

Precision agriculture, and more specifically the application of drones, is becoming one of the most dynamic sectors at the Sant Miquel and Eurofruit trade fairs in Lleida. This year, and with the help of the LleidaDrone association, these devices will have a prominent role through an extensive programme of activities that will include live demonstrations, a consultation service for visitors interested in the subject, introductory sessions for children and the presentation of the innovative Dronecoria project. It should be remembered that the 64^th edition of the Sant Miquel Agricultural Fair and the 33^rd edition of the Eurofruit show will take place from 27^th to 30^th September.

During the presentation of the drone activities at the Sant Miquel – Eurofruit Fair, Àngel Ros, Mayor of Lleida and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fira de Lleida Foundation, stressed the importance of this technology in the management of agricultural resources, especially agricultural and forestry resources, and added that Lleida is a world leader in the field of drones, with the LleidaDrone association being particularly noteworthy. Oriol Oró, General Manager of Fira de Lleida, said that the Sant Miquel Fair and Eurofruit are the perfect setting for any technology – such as drones – that contributes to better management of irrigation, fertilizers and phytosanitary products.

Andreu Ibáñez, president of LleidaDrone, an advanced technology association located in the Gardeny Science Park in Lleida, explained that the entity will once again be present for the fourth consecutive year at the Sant Miquel – Eurofruit Fair with a stand in Pavilion 4, where several companies from the sector will be attending to those interested in the world of drones, and with the “Drone Arena” space, 11×16 m, which will allow flight demonstrations. Similarly, on Saturday, 29 September and Sunday, 30 September, children will be offered the opportunity to learn to fly toy drones and participate in a drone race.

Presentation of the Dronecoria project
The Sant Miquel – Eurofruit Fair will also be the framework for the official presentation in Lleida of Dronecoria, a programme by the engineer Lot Amorós, a collaborator of LleidaDrone, aimed at the reforestation of burnt forests by means of a drone that has already obtained great international recognition. The initiative has been presented in 5 countries and has won several international awards.

Dronecoria incorporates the drones bottles with seeds and microorganisms, which are launched in areas devastated by fires, earthquakes or tsunamis. The flying apparatuses have cameras to analyze the best places of action. This alternative increases the possibility of seed germination and access to places where it is not possible to reach on foot.

With a construction cost of 3,000 euros, the drone in question has 6 engines, measures 1.60 meters long and weighs 12 kilos, and has a capacity for 8 kilos of seeds. The device is also sustainable, as it is basically made of wood, avoiding complicated recycling materials.

The project includes the entire reforestation process, from the physical construction of the drone, the incorporation of the software, the preparation of the seeds and their launching in the affected areas. The software with artificial intelligence allows you to drop the seeds on the most suitable areas for them to develop. As for the seeds, the most suitable ones for each soil (grasses, shrubs or trees) are chosen and then palletised, that is, they are incorporated into the same layers of nutrients and natural insect repellent products.

In addition to Spain, the project has been presented in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Sweden and Chile, where flight tests are already being conducted. In Brazil, the drone has already carried out some pilot tests of reforestation tasks. The initiative has the support of the United Nations, Telefónica, Ikea, Autodesk, Intech 3D and LleidaDrone, among others.

In addition, the TIC Laboratory of the Gardeny Science Park, the Liquid Galaxy LAB, will show the first developments being made in the project’s software, including camera recognition and artificial intelligence of the most suitable burnt areas for afforestation, and the identification of the most suitable routes to launch the seeds, through a system of 5 screens exhibited at the Sant Miquel – Eurofruit Fair.

The exhibition in Lleida will offer a wide range of products related to industrial refrigeration for the agri-food sector

Industrial refrigeration is one of the sectors that will be present at the 64^th edition of the Sant Miquel Agricultural Fair and the 33^rd edition of the Eurofruit show, which will take place from 27^th to 30^th September at the Fira de Lleida exhibition centre. In the current stocking and marketing processes in the agri-food sector, and particularly in the fruit sector, refrigeration is very important, since with the right temperature and humidity conditions for the chamber, the life of the product can be extended to the maximum. Fruit for example, once extracted from the tree still requires O₂, it generates heat and other gases, such as CO₂.

On the other hand, the energy efficiency of refrigeration installations, food preservation processes ensuring the cold chain, new technologies, new legislation and the future of refrigerants and new developments in refrigeration applications are topics that are the focus of attention of professionals in the sector.

Cadena del Frio presents the latest news
The company Cadena del Frio will be presenting its wide range of products for industrial refrigeration for food preservation, including advanced technology products, a consulting service and a complementary service of personalised assembly and post-assembly technical service (maintenance and control) for customers.

As far as technological products are concerned, the company specialises in controlled atmosphere for the fruit and vegetable sector. The controlled atmosphere is a technique that consists of modifying the concentrations of gases that are in normal conditions in the atmosphere by means of nitrogen generators, more economic than the gas cylinders.

In the fruit and vegetable world, this technique is used for fruit preservation and as an ecological system for the elimination of parasites, insects, larvae, etc. The new equipment incorporates an intelligent “electronic nose” that analyses the gases present in the chamber and the fruit cells to detect the degree of ripeness, possible diseases or fungi and other incidents.

The company also sells temperature recorders for cold rooms that allow monitoring via mobile phones (via Bluetooth), industrial coolers (hydrocooling), air-cooling tanks, doors and various refrigeration equipment, etc.

The sectors represented at the Sant Miquel Agricultural Fair and at the Eurofruit show are tractors, agricultural machinery, precision agriculture, equipment and services for agriculture and livestock, local agri-food products, nurseries, fertilisers, agricultural trade unions, the automotive industry, financial services and insurance.

The exhibiting companies of the sector will occupy an area of about 200 m²

Fruit trees, in their varieties of seed trees, stone trees and nut trees, will play an important role this year in the nursery exhibition of the 64^th edition of the Sant Miquel Agricultural Fair (Spanush Agricultural Machinery Fair) and the 33^rd edition of Eurofruit (Professional Fair of Suppliers of the Fruit Industry), which will take place from 27 to 30 September at the Fira de Lleida facilities. In addition to the production of stone fruit trees and pome trees —and other more atypical productions such as truffle plants—, grafts and rootstocks will also play an important role in the nursery offer.

The nursery companies that have already confirmed their presence at the Lleida agricultural fair are Viveros Provedo (Soses), Vivers Duran SL (Lleida), Plavise SAT (Alguaire), Vivers DLP (Girona), Certiplant (Mollerussa) and Inotruf (Teruel).

Viveros Provedo presents as a novelty in Sant Miquel several peaches and nectarines with Extreme taste. It will also enhance some of its new varieties of plums, such as Blondy®79, early, with excellent productivity, high caliber, beautiful skin of a very resistant golden yellow color, which is not marked when harvested and perfectly resists the commercial channel. In pavements, Argos® stands out, a variety that is achieving extraordinary success. Its precocity and hardness, together with its large caliber, make it a very powerful product that also has a very long post-harvest life that allows it to be exported over long distances.

Provedo holds 90 patents as a result of its research efforts, each one with specific characteristics and aimed at a specific market or use. It is a highly expanded and consolidated firm in countries such as Chile, South Africa, USA, Australia, Italy, France, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey.

Vivers Duran is a family business with more than sixty years of history specializing in fruit tree seedlings that will present a wide range of olive, almond, apple and pear trees, among others.

Vivers DLP, a subsidiary of DL (Davodeau-Ligonnière) in Spain, will offer the best varieties of apple trees in a 9-month-old plant from English grafting. It has exclusive DL varieties available for licensing such as Gala BROOKFIELD® Baigent, Granny CHALLENGER® Dalivair, Golden REINDERS®, Golden PINKGOLD® Leratess and external licenses for Fuji ZHEN® AZTEC, JEROMINE® and Golden CRIELAARD®.

DLP Nurseries’ strategy is to offer a tailor-made plant. The client chooses the variety, the exact rootstock and the type of branching, and the firm adapts each order to the client’s request to achieve the entire branching without gaps in the plant.

The company Plavise will be present at the fair with its range of rootstocks and certified apple and pear trees. It will also display peach seeds.

Certiplant, a company of the Nufri Group, is the leader in the production of certified apple and pear plants, and has the best clones of each variety. It is also at the forefront of varietal developments in the stone fruit sector. The company is committed to varietal innovation and will promote varieties such as the Elliot pear or the Harrow Sweet at the show.

Inotruf, one of the few companies in the country dedicated to the production of high quality mycorrhized plants, will show its catalogue of mycorrhized seedlings with black and summer truffles.

Catalonia, more than 220 companies producing live plants
Catalonia currently has more than 220 companies producing live plants, which occupy a cultivation area of some 1,800 ha (of which some 1,600 ha are grown outdoors and some 200 ha under glass). The production of live plants includes the cultivation of ornamental trees, Christmas trees, ornamental shrubs, conifers, cacti, aromatic plants, seasonal plants, perennials, shade plants, Mediterranean plants, crass plants, palms, forest plants, fruit trees and the plant reproductive material of the previous productions (tissue culture, seed germination, rooting of cuttings and grafts).

According to the Federation of Nursery Farmers of Catalonia, the companies that make up the sector are small and medium-sized, most of them family-run. The size of the holdings varies from one hectare in the case of intensive production of ornamental plants under glass to more than 50 ha in the case of tree and shrub production outside. The main markets in the sector are the rest of Spain and, increasingly, other European Community countries, mainly France and Italy. The Catalan nursery growers export plants worth around 40 million euros a year.

Sessions related to new developments in the world of livestock, fruit growing, irrigation and precision agriculture

The Sant Miquel Agricultural Fair and the Eurofruit show, which will take place from 28 September to 1 October 2017 at the Lleida Fair, will be the setting for various professional technical conferences focusing on current issues in the fields of livestock, fruit growing, irrigation and precision agriculture. It should be remembered that this double agricultural event will host more than fifty technical activities, including workshops, seminars, presentations, demonstrations and tastings.