From Argentina to Spain to advance sustainable weed management

In June 2026, as part of the NeutraWeed Project, agricultural engineer Eugenia Niccia, from the Pest Management Network (REM) of Aapresid, Argentina, carried out a research stay at the Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDRA) in Spain.

Her secondment focused on exploring integrated weed management, crop diversification, and no-till farming under Mediterranean conditions, with particular attention to how different management strategies influence weed communities and crop performance. Field activities were carried out at the El Encín experimental farm in Alcalá de Henares, as well as on commercial farms across the Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha regions.

The stay provided an opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the challenges faced by Mediterranean farming systems, including limited rainfall, summer drought, low soil organic matter and strong competition from key weed species such as Bromus spp., Lolium rigidum, Chenopodium album and Papaver rhoeas.

A key focus of the exchange was the NeutraWeed approach to weed neutrality and coexistence, exploring how crop diversification and alternative management strategies can influence weed communities while maintaining crop productivity. The secondment also enabled an exchange of experiences on no-till agriculture, with Argentina sharing its extensive expertise in direct drilling, adopted on more than 80% of its agricultural land, compared with around 3% in Spain.

Beyond the field activities, the secondment strengthened the exchange of knowledge between European researchers and South American practitioners, highlighting both the differences and common challenges faced by agricultural systems across continents. The experience also opened new opportunities to explore how management practices developed in different agroecological contexts can contribute to more efficient, competitive and environmentally sustainable farming.

Eugenia’s stay at IMIDRA further strengthened collaboration within the NeutraWeed consortium, supporting the project’s mission to develop biodiversity-friendly and sustainable approaches to weed management through international knowledge exchange.

Stay tuned for more updates from the NeutraWeed international research community!