Professor Emilio Gil, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)

Date: Thursday 05 March 2026, 10 am, SARDI Plant Research Centre Auditorium

Title: From compliance to precision: Integrating Legislation and Technology in Crop Protection

Abstract: Crop protection is entering a new era in which compliance is no longer just a legal requirement—it is becoming a driver for better decision-making, higher efficiency, and lower environmental impact. It will be presented how legislation and technology can be integrated to move “from compliance to precision” in the use of plant protection products. We will review the main regulatory principles shaping modern crop protection (traceability, risk reduction, operator safety, environmental protection, and documentation) and translate them into practical field workflows. The session then connects these requirements with the tools of precision agriculture: decision-support systems, digital record keeping, variable-rate application, weather and disease forecasting, and monitoring technologies such as sensors and remote sensing. Through real-world scenarios, we will show how data-driven planning and application can improve efficacy while supporting compliance—reducing off-target drift, optimizing dose and timing, and improving transparency across the farm-to-market chain. Finally, we highlight the human factor: training as the bridge between rules and results. Participants will leave with a clear framework to align legal obligations with operational best practices, turning compliance into a measurable pathway toward precision, sustainability, and responsible crop protection. The European situation will be highlighted.

Bio: Emilio Gil is a Full Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and Head of the Agricultural Machinery Unit (www.uma-upc.com ), leading an officially recognised research group. His profile is strongly oriented to European project leadership, serving as Project Coordinator of INNOSETA (H2020), AGRICT (Erasmus+), and RENOVATE (Horizon Europe, 2024–2028), and coordinating EU-wide training actions under DG SANTE / BTSF on inspection, calibration and risk mitigation during pesticide use. In terms of output and international reach, his CV lists 80 SCI-indexed journal papers, alongside a broad set of additional international publications and contributions. He has held major international-facing roles, including Vice-Director for International Relationships (2000–2005), Visiting Professor at Cornell University (USA) and Director of the Aragon Government Office in Brussels (2016), and he works routinely in English and other languages at professional level. Prof. Gil has delivered more than 200 invited speeches all around the world, and has been advisor of several governments as Spain, Chile, Serbia, Cyprus, promoting and implementing EU requirements in the topic of plant protection products. He also combines academia with multiple high-responsibility appointments: President of the FIMA international jury/board for new technologies, Director of the Syngenta–UPC Chair, President of AESAVE, Member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors, and Associate Editor in leading journals (e.g., Precision Agriculture, Journal of ASABE), while contributing to CEN/ISO standardization activities as national expert. Member of EUPAF – European Precision Application Task Force. He plays saxophone at Aula Jazz Orchestra in Sant Cugat (Barcelona). Author of 7 books, combining technology with leisure, novel and history.

https://adelaide.zoom.us/j/88324941961?pwd=iBEvCU8wU2bKbEa3JaDzLIDGOZtEkj.1

Webinar ID: 883 2494 1961, Passcode:429141

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https://adelaide.zoom.us/j/88324941961?pwd=iBEvCU8wU2bKbEa3JaDzLIDGOZtEkj.1

Webinar ID: 883 2494 1961

Passcode:429141