The I International Symposium on Protected Cultivation, Nettings, and Screens for Mild Climates took place in Athens, Greece, from September 23-26, 2024. Organized by the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) and the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), the event brought together experts in protected cultivation, vegetable and ornamental crop production, and netting and screen applications for horticulture.
This symposium incorporated two key events:
XII International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates
II International Symposium on Nettings and Screens in Horticulture
It provided a valuable platform for researchers, agronomists, and industry professionals to exchange knowledge, present innovations, and discuss future perspectives in sustainable greenhouse farming, precision nutrient management, and climate-smart horticultural practices.

Key Presentations from ECONUTRI Researchers

🔹 Prof. Dimitrios Savvas (AUA OFC) – Presented the Soil Nutrisense DSS, a decision-support system designed to optimize nutrient supply in soil-grown vegetables.
🔹 Prof. Qing Chen (China Agricultural University) – Delivered an insightful presentation on biostimulants and functional water-soluble fertilizers and their role in sustainable crop production.
🔹 Prof. Luisella Celi (UNITO) – Highlighted circular economy concepts for biowaste recycling and crop fertilization management to enhance nutrient efficiency.
🔹 Dr. Oliver Körner (IGZ – Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops) – Presented Nutrisense DSS findings demonstrating significant reductions in fertilizer use while maintaining crop productivity.
🔹 Rodney B. Thomson (Universidad de Almería) – Provided an overview of the Vegsystem model and VegSys DSS, tools designed to improve fertigation management in protected cultivation.
🔹 Evangelos Giannothanasis (AUA OFC) – Showcased the successful application of Nutrisense DSS in closed-loop soilless culture systems, emphasizing its role in sustainable nutrient management.
A special thank you to Alberto Pardossi, one of Econutri’s external advisors, for chairing one of the key sessions and facilitating valuable discussions.

Driving Innovation in Protected Cultivation

The Econutri team’s contributions at the symposium were instrumental in advancing knowledge and fostering collaborations on sustainable nutrient management, precision agriculture, and circular approaches to fertilization.

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