Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture UNIFI

Our MSc graduate, Sampada Umesh, was awarded by Accademia dei Georgofili with the 9th AgroInnovation Award 🌿

"I was honored to receive recognition at the 9th AgroInnovation Award, organized by Image Line in collaboration with the Accademia dei Georgofili, for my master’s thesis completed within the Master’s Degree in Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture.

My thesis, titled “Resistance Evaluation of Major Italian Rice Cultivars to Meloidogyne graminicola: A Step Towards Strategies for Root-Knot Nematode Management,” was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Laura Mugnai (University of Florence), with the collaboration of Giulia Torrini (CREA-DC).

The research focuses on evaluating the resistance of major Italian rice cultivars to Meloidogyne graminicola, contributing to the development of sustainable crop protection strategies for the management of root-knot nematodes."

Congratulations!

Università degli Studi di Firenze
DAGRI UNIFI
Scuola di Agraria - Università di Firenze

🌿 Getting our hands dirty for science! 🚜

The students of Tropical and Subtropical Plant and Soil Ecology took learning out of the classroom and straight into the field! We spent an amazing day at the university’s Montepaldi farm, surrounded by the beautiful Chianti vineyards. 🍇✨

But we weren't just there for the view. We got down to business—literally—by opening, studying, and describing a complete soil profile. Understanding what's happening beneath our feet is the ultimate key to unlocking ecosystem secrets! 🔍🌱

Nothing beats hands-on experience, fresh air, and great company. Swipe left to see us digging deep into pedology! 📸👇



Scuola di Agraria - Università di Firenze
DAGRI UNIFI
Università degli Studi di Firenze

Today, our students and teachers visited the Macfrut fair in !

Lots of discussions and thoughts with practitioners and enterprises, also attending stands of the Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo.



Scuola di Agraria - Università di Firenze
DAGRI UNIFI
Università degli Studi di Firenze
Camilla Dibari

Water Harvesting Lab - UNIFI Seminar
“Stakeholder engagement in scientific research”
by Prof. John Paul Odhiambo Obiero
University of Nairobi
Monday, 20th of March at 16:00
Room C, Scuola di Agraria - Università di Firenze, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Piazzale delle Cascine, 18 - 50144 Firenze (FI)

The seminar examines how tight proposal timelines often limit meaningful stakeholder engagement, leaving communities excluded from early project design. It showcases an initiative by the University of Nairobi and the University of Lagos to address this gap through early stakeholder consultations and preliminary reconnaissance for a proposed joint research project. The session highlights participatory techniques used to capture real community issues and perspectives, enabling refinement of project ideas to align with societal expectations and strengthen stakeholder ownership during implementation.

The seminar is organized by the PNRR/TNE Project - WAter enerGy fOod Nexus 2 Africa (WAGON2AFRICA) – CUP E17G24000420006, within the course in “Sustainable Water Resources Management”, MSc in Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture UNIFI, in the framework of the international agreement between the University of Florence and the University of Burundi.

For information: [email protected]

Congratulations to our fresh graduates!

Hlaing Nu Aye and Francesca Roggi obtained their MSc on April 13th.

Nu developed a thesis on the "Assessment of Socioeconomic Vulnerability to Water Scarcity in Sebou Watershed, Morocco", with a period abroad at the UM6P - Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, while Francesca worked at the University of Nairobi on “A mixed methods assessment of small-scale irrigation and water ponds in Kenya”.

Thanks also to their international supervisors, Prof. Mohamed Ouarani and Prof. John Obiero.

Good luck, Nu and Francesca, for your future career!

Are you looking for a similar thesis experience? Apply for our MSc!
https://www.tropicalagriculture.unifi.it/vp-151-enrolment.html

Scuola di Agraria - Università di Firenze
Università degli Studi di Firenze
DAGRI UNIFI
Water Harvesting Lab - UNIFI

🇮🇹 per studenti Italiani

Vuoi scoprire il nostro corso in Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture UNIFI e gli altri corsi di laurea magistrali della Scuola di Agraria - Università di Firenze?

Iscriviti all' delle dell' degli Studi di Firenze

Dal 13 al 17 aprile 2026, una settimana interamente online, dedicata a chi deve scegliere come proseguire gli studi e desidera esplorare l’offerta delle Lauree Magistrali dell’Università di Firenze. Sarà possibile partecipare alle presentazioni dei corsi, conoscere i servizi di Ateneo, le opportunità di tirocinio, la mobilità internazionale e gli sbocchi professionali.

Per iscriversi: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiI7wGlsiiFGO_rMzcOLoU_4uuLHkMuuYOGC-9GV7OU1eACA/viewform

Per informazioni: https://www.orientati.unifi.it/ #

Programma completo: https://www.orientati.unifi.it/vp-22-open-week-lauree-magistrali.html #

Open Week Lauree Magistrali | Programma | Open Day Unifi | UniFI Open Week Lauree Magistrali

Thanks to Prof. Dr. Jean Claude Nyamweru for his inspiring talk on "Linking Agricultural Yield Gaps with Land Use, Climate Change, Food Security, and Welfare Status for Smallholder Farmers in Burundi".

The seminar was organized by the PNRR/TNE Project - WAter enerGy fOod Nexus 2 Africa (WAGON2AFRICA) – CUP E17G24000420006, within the course in “Project planning for sustainable rural development”, MSc in Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture UNIFI, in the framework of the international agreement between the Università degli Studi di Firenze and the University of Burundi.

Caterina Contini, Silvia Scaramuzzi

DAGRI UNIFI
Scuola di Agraria - Università di Firenze

Seminar “Linking yield gaps with land use, climate change, food security and welfare status for smallholder farmers in Burundi”

Seminar presentation by Dr. Jean Claude Nyamweru
Friday 27th of March at 14:30
Room C, Scuola di Agraria - Università di Firenze, Piazzale delle Cascine, 18
50144 Firenze (FI)

The seminar will provide the audience with a clearer understanding of the context and highlight potential research opportunities. It will begin with a brief overview of Burundi. In addition, the seminar will highlight selected success stories of bottom-up, sustainable agricultural interventions. In particular, the Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) approach will be presented as an example of community-driven innovation.

The seminar is organized by the PNRR/TNE Project - WAter enerGy fOod Nexus 2 Africa (WAGON2AFRICA) – CUP E17G24000420006, within the course in “Project planning for sustainable rural development”, MSc in Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture, in the framework of the international agreement between the University of Florence and the University of Burundi.

is tomorrow, March 22nd!

The theme of United Nations World Water Day 2026 is "Water and Gender".

The global water crisis affects everyone – but not equally.

Where people lack safe drinking water and sanitation close to home, inequalities flourish, with women and girls bearing the brunt.

They collect water.

They manage water.

They care for people made sick by unsafe water.

They lose time, health, safety, and opportunities.

And too often, the systems that govern water leave women and girls out of decision-making, leadership, funding and representation.

This makes the water crisis a women’s crisis.

Our MSc student Hlaing Nu Aye worked at UM6P - Mohammed VI Polytechnic University within the EMPOWERMed PrimaProgram project for her thesis on this topic, in highlands.

Her results showed that about 64% of women in settled families and 50% of women in nomadic households were responsible for collecting and fetching water from the sources of water supply to settlements for domestic water use.

The respondents mentioned that water scarcity increased burdens on women as they had to do extra work to fetch water, often walking for at most 4 kilometers, because there was no reliable transportation to go to the sources.

Despite the main responsibility to fetch water, women could rarely participate in water-related community meetings, where there was an average of 5% in women’s participation.

Her results and our work can further advance the call for more equal roles and water management.

For more information: https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day

Water Harvesting Lab - UNIFI
DAGRI UNIFI
Scuola di Agraria - Università di Firenze
Università degli Studi di Firenze
UN-Water

🌱 OPEN DAY 2026 – School of Agriculture 🌱
Hosted by the Università degli Studi di Firenze - Scuola di Agraria - Università di Firenze

📅 Thursday, March 26, 2026
🕝 From 2:30 PM
📍 Building C9 – Via Sandro Pertini 16, Florence, Italy

Are you interested in studying agricultural sciences? 🌾
Join us for Open Day 2026 and discover the academic programs offered by the School of Agriculture!

✨ Who is it for?
👉 High school students exploring undergraduate degree options in agricultural and environmental sciences.

🎓 What to expect:
✔ Presentation of degree programs
✔ Meet professors and current students
✔ Information about study paths and career opportunities
✔ Guidance on university life and enrollment

📌 Limited seats available (200 participants) – Registration required: https://www.unifi.it/it/studia-con-noi/orientamento/progetti-le-scuole-secondarie/modalita-di-prenotazione-degli-eventi-di

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore your future in agriculture and environmental sciences!