The event will take place on 26 and 27 November at Infecar, with free admission and limited capacity
During the meeting, the Innovation Forum on Urban Arboriculture Management will also be held, focusing on the management of urban tree populations

Irrigation efficiency, crop protection and agrivoltaics will be the three main thematic blocks of this year’s programme of the fourth edition of ExpoAgro, Innovation Meetings, which will take place on 26 and 27 November at Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria.
Producers, suppliers and experts from the Canary Islands’ primary sector have a new opportunity at ExpoAgro to advance towards a more sustainable, competitive agricultural model, better prepared to face global challenges. Through presentations and real-life cases, held in the afternoons of both days, attendees will learn the key aspects to address challenges and identify opportunities for the future of agriculture.
The Councillor for Primary Sector, Food Sovereignty and Water Security of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Miguel Hidalgo, explained that ExpoAgro Canarias will address, through “the practices of speakers who bring their real experiences”, topics of great interest for the sector, such as how to “cultivate with modern irrigation systems, achieving significant water savings without affecting production; it is something very innovative.”

Specifically, 26 November will focus on improving irrigation efficiency. Carlos Álvarez, researcher at the Canary Islands Institute of Agrarian Research (ICA), will explain strategies for more efficient agriculture, focusing on optimising irrigation in banana and avocado crops. In addition, Pedro Gavilán, researcher at the Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA) of the Regional Government of Andalusia, will present, as an example, “Sustainability of irrigation in red berry crops in the province of Huelva”. Osvaldo Renz, head of the Tenerife Irrigation Office, will reveal how to diagnose and advise on efficient irrigation to respond to stress in banana crops; and Javier Hernández, technician at the Institute of Renewable Energies (ITER), will introduce attendees to digital technologies for crop monitoring and the use of artificial intelligence to generate irrigation recommendations.

The following day, attendees will explore crop protection techniques and agrivoltaics, which combines agriculture and photovoltaic energy. As the Councillor noted, “the island of Gran Canaria prides itself on being the island with the largest number of hectares of fruit production”, which is why ExpoAgro will also address how to combat pests in these crops.
Thus, in the first block, Ignacio Plá Mora, from TRAGSA Valencia, will explain the “Sterile Insect Technique to combat the Mediterranean fruit fly.” The agrivoltaics section will then begin with a presentation by M.ª Elena Llarena, coordinator of the photovoltaic department at ITER, who will discuss the TAGORA pilot project, which aims to achieve an efficient synergy between agriculture and energy in Tenerife.

Meanwhile, Luis Cárdenes, Director of Water and Energy at Grupo FSM, will address agrivoltaic integration in agricultural holdings through the FSM Construcción case; and Pedro José Fernández, CEO of Metal Frame Renovables, will present business models linked to the integration of energy and agriculture on the islands. The block and the day will conclude with presentations by Tatiana Gómez, engineer at the Island Energy Council (CIEGC), and Daniel Henríquez, Head of Section in the Renewable Energies Department at the Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC), who will present several agrivoltaic pilot projects currently under development in Gran Canaria.

Within the same context of ExpoAgro Canarias, Innovation Meetings, the Innovation Forum on Urban Arboriculture Management will also take place in the mornings of 26 and 27 November—two sessions devoted to defining the main challenges of managing urban tree populations. “The presence of large trees in urban spaces” is essential, especially now that schools increasingly demand shaded areas to mitigate high temperatures “naturally”, stated Miguel Hidalgo.

On 26 November, M.ª Ángeles Asensio, Javier Amat, Pablo J. Pérez, Ana Pérez and Lorena Escuer will address the challenges and opportunities related to the management of urban green soils, the fungi and root systems present in the urban environment of the Canary Islands, and the evolution of the urban ecosystem. In addition, a technical visit has been organised to the Tony Gallardo Park in Maspalomas, guided by Javier Auré, Technical Area Director of the Maspalomas Consortium, offering a practical experience on how nature-based solutions have been integrated into an urban environment to regenerate a degraded public space.

The morning of 27 November will focus on the ecosystem regulation services provided by the urban forest, presented by J. L. Rodríguez, and on root architecture explained by Luis A. Díaz. Meanwhile, Juan Palop and Francisco León will present the design and sustainability criteria of the Infecar Master Plan, along with the comprehensive intervention in the palm square of the Viera y Clavijo Canarian Botanical Garden.

Through this comprehensive programme of presentations, the public administration, scientific community and field professionals will be able to share knowledge, learn from each other and explore the fields that are transforming the primary sector in the islands, always with innovation as the guiding thread and a common goal: advancing towards an efficient and sustainable primary sector model, with food sovereignty as one of its pillars, improving the quality of life of both farmers and livestock breeders, as well as those who depend on the land.

All information, the full programme and reservation of limited and free seats are available on the official ExpoAgro Canarias website: www.expoagrocanarias.es.
ExpoAgro Canarias is an event promoted and funded by the Cabildo of Gran Canaria through its Department of Primary Sector, Food Sovereignty and Water Security, and organised by Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria, with Cajasiete as the official collaborator.