Belén Guijarro Díaz-Otero
Researcher at INIA-CSIC in the Plant Protection Department since 2013. She gained a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons) and MSc in Agriculture engineering- Specialised in Plant breeding and Plant Production in 2000 at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Completing a Ph. D in 2007 thanks to her research at the Department of Plant Protection at INIA-CSIC for the development of phylamentous fungi as biocontrol agents for the control of Monilinia spp on stone fruit. Postdoctoral Endeavour Aware fellowship at La Trobe University for the study of the diversity of Monilinia spp and Botrytis cinerea populations. Research associated at AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience (Melbourne, Victoria) managing a program works on (1) Chemical control-Alternatives to methyl bromide in strawberry cultivation (2) Integrated control: Improving soil health in horticultural crops (3) Biological control: study of the Australian horticultural soil biome and contribution of carbonaceous amendments.She has participated in two European projects that have resulted in the creation of new strategies, based on emerging trends in biocontrol in agriculture, industry needs and national capacities: BIOCOMES “Biological control manufacturers in Europe develop novel biological control products to support the implementation of Integrated Pest Management in agriculture and forestry”. Presently her research focusses on the characterisation and development of biocontrol agents for the control of pathogenic fungi using various 'omics' approaches to reveal tritrophic interactions between biological control agents-host plant and phytopathogenic fungi. She is involved in a national project for the development of the next generation of resistance inducing products in accordance with the new regulatory requirements proposed by the European Union for microbiological active substances.
