Mini-curriculum

Ítalo Guedes is an agronomist, researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Hortaliças) since December 2008. He carries out research on mineral nutrition of plants and soilless cultivation systems in protected and controlled environments. He began his research career dedicating himself to the management of fertilization and fertigation of vegetables in conservation systems, such as direct planting, and in protected cultivation. In 2009, he edited and published the book "Global Climate Change and Vegetable Production", the first Embrapa publication to address the influence of climate change on vegetable production in Brazil and to make recommendations for mitigation and adaptation measures. He contributed to plant breeding programs, mainly for tomatoes, melons and lettuce, evaluating the nutritional needs of experimental genotypes and making nutritional management recommendations for new varieties. He was Deputy Head of Research and Development at Embrapa Hortaliças from 2013 to 2017, during which time he was responsible for supervising the activities of a team made up of around 50 researchers and around 100 research assistants. During his tenure, more than 50 research projects received funding, both from government agencies and private companies, on topics relevant to vegetable production chains in Brazil. In 2018, he participated in the working group that proposed and founded the formation of Embrapa's Corporate Portfolio of Vegetable Projects, which identified the main problems and bottlenecks in vegetable production in Brazil and defined and prioritized the Research Challenges that have been guiding the research in Embrapa vegetables since then. He served as President of the Steering Committee of Embrapa's Corporate Portfolio of Vegetable Projects from 2019 to 2020. From 2017 onwards, he coordinated or participated in projects evaluating nutritional solutions of different compositions in pepper, strawberry, lettuce, tomato, pepper and cucumber crops. In 2020, he entered into and has since coordinated a public-private partnership, in the form of an open innovation project, with the aim of developing a pioneering Brazilian vegetable production system in a controlled environment, using soilless agriculture and artificial lighting, the first research project on farms Embrapa verticals, in partnership with the company 100 Livre. He participated in missions or technical visits to vegetable production areas in the field or protected cultivation in South Korea, Colombia, Chile, Spain and France. During his professional career he had the opportunity to visit horticultural production areas in practically all states in Brazil. He has a degree in Agronomy from the Federal University of Paraíba (1999), a master's degree in Phytotechnics (Plant Production) from the Federal University of Viçosa (2002), a PhD in Agronomy (Soils and Plant Nutrition) also from the Federal University of Viçosa (2008) and an MBA in Project Management from ESALQ-USP (2021). In addition to his work as a researcher, he has worked as a scientific popularizer. For 10 years he published a blog called Geophages, dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge in Agricultural Sciences, especially in Soil Science. In January 2023, he created a YouTube channel called "O Agrônomo Vertical", where he publishes scientific dissemination videos of his own on different topics related to Agriculture, particularly vegetable production. He is the author or co-author of several technical publications aimed at agronomists and technicians who work directly with farmers, regularly writing promotional articles on protected cultivation, hydroponics and plant nutrition management in magazines aimed at farmers and agronomists.

Education

1995 - 1999

Graduação em Agronomia

Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Title: Evolução de estruturas reprodutivas do algodoeiro herbáceo, cv CNPA-7H, em função da disponibilidade de água no solo.

Obtained year: 1999

Advisor: Alberício Pereira de Andrade

2000 - 2002

Mestrado em Fitotecnia (Produção Vegetal)

Universidade Federal de Viçosa

Title: Agregação de amostras de um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo em resposta à aplicação de alcatrão vegetal

Obtained year: 2002

Advisor: Liovando Marciano da Costa

2003 - 2008

Doutorado em Agronomia (Solos e Nutrição de Plantas)

Universidade Federal de Viçosa

Title: Geoambientes, estoques de carbono e termodegradação da matéria orgânica de solos da Área de Proteção Ambiental Estadual Cachoeira das Andorinhas, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

Obtained year: 2008

Advisor: Liovando Marciano da Costa

Areas of expertise

1. Grande área: Agricultural Sciences / Área: Agronomy / Subárea: Plant Science / Especialidade: Plant Mineral Nutrition
2. Grande área: Agricultural Sciences / Área: Agronomy / Subárea: Hidroponia
3. Grande área: Agricultural Sciences / Área: Agronomy / Subárea: Agricultura em Ambiente Controlado
4. Grande área: Agricultural Sciences / Área: Agronomy / Subárea: Cultivo Protegido
5. Grande área: Agricultural Sciences / Área: Agronomy / Subárea: Cultivos Sem Solo
6. Grande área: Agricultural Sciences / Área: Agronomy / Subárea: Aeroponia