This Thursday, December 5, the IRTA Mas Badia center, located in La Tallada d’Empordà (Girona), celebrated its 40th anniversary. The event brought together more than 150 attendees, including representatives from the agricultural sector, the Diputació de Girona, IRTA, and the Generalitat. It served as an opportunity to reflect on the present and future challenges of Girona’s agriculture, with a special emphasis on the impact of climate change.
Joan Bonany, head of the IRTA center and host of the event, explained:
"It all began with the initiative of a group of farmers and cooperatives, supported by various Girona institutions. Thanks to this public-private collaboration, IRTA Mas Badia has become a pioneering center for research, innovation, and technology transfer."
During the closing ceremony, Rosa Cubel, Secretary of Food at the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food (DARPA), highlighted the center’s contributions:
"Mas Badia has played a key role in advancing Girona’s agriculture and beyond. Its research has transcended regional borders, as demonstrated by international projects such as the development of two new apple varieties adapted to rising temperatures."
Similarly, IRTA’s general director, Josep Usall, expressed his gratitude to all the professionals who have worked at IRTA Mas Badia over the past 40 years, as well as the public institutions, companies, and producers of Girona that have supported and collaborated with the center.
During the event, various experts addressed climate change as a critical challenge for agriculture, particularly in Girona.
Marc Prohom, head of the Climatology Area at the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, provided climate projections for the province of Girona—key information for guiding future research. Meanwhile, Joan Gaya, an engineer and consultant in public services and environmental management, shared insights into the water cycle and drought management, proposing alternatives to current practices.
Regarding the effects of climate change on crops in Girona, Joaquim Carbó and Glòria Avila, from IRTA’s Fruit and Vegetation Program, along with Joan Serra and Joan Faé, from the Extensive Crops Program, discussed strategies to address these impacts. They reviewed both the expected consequences and potential techniques to mitigate them for two main crop groups: fruit and woody crops, as well as extensive herbaceous crops.
Finally, in a roundtable discussion, representatives from IGP Poma de Girona, DO Empordà, and the Comunitat de Regants del Molí de Pals reflected on the perspectives and needs of producers. All participants agreed on the necessity of adapting to a changing environment and reinforcing their commitment to innovation and sustainability.
Throughout these 40 years, the IRTA Mas Badia center has contributed significantly to Girona’s agriculture through various advancements. Notably, extensive work has been carried out in apple cultivation, including the introduction and development of new varieties adapted to high summer temperatures, new grafting techniques, more intensive pruning and training systems, integrated pest control, efficient irrigation management, and improved conservation techniques. Additionally, efforts have focused on evaluating new varieties of cereals and fodder, managing livestock manure to prevent aquifer contamination, and developing strategies for producing high-quality flour. While most activities have centered on fruit and cereals, future efforts aim to expand research into vineyards, olive trees, and rice in collaboration with the network of other IRTA centers.
Although the center’s beginnings were modest, today it operates on 33 hectares of crops, with 1,600 m² dedicated to laboratories and research spaces and a team of 62 professionals. What has remained unchanged is its essence as a "living lab"—a meeting point for various stakeholders, where farmers feel a strong sense of connection to the center.
With this celebration, IRTA Mas Badia reaffirms its mission to stand alongside the agricultural sector, helping to tackle future challenges with a solid foundation of research, innovation, and collaboration.
