Agreement signed: a new department will be established by Debrecen University and KITE

Debrecen University (DE) and KITE Zrt have been involved in education, research and development for nearly 45 years and the two institutions collaborate in several agricultural consortia – read Debrecen University the side. Laszlo Stendel, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food Science and Environmental Management DE, upon signing the agreement, emphasized that the establishment of the Integrated Plant Protection Technology Development Department is a critical step in the relationship between the Faculty of Agriculture, Food Science and DE Environmental Management (MÉK) and the largest agricultural integration company in the country.

The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food Science and Environmental Management at DE explained that KITE Zrt. wider. In the words of Laszlo Stendel, the agreement links the university’s knowledge base with the company’s expertise, with which scientific findings can be effectively transferred to practical farming.

Outsourcing is the second educational platform offered by KITE Zrt. DE and the agricultural company have been collaborating on precision agriculture education for 5 years now. Levente Sabo, CEO of KITE Zrt. He confirmed that the results of fruitful joint research work are the smart corn hybrids that are gaining more and more success among farmers. The expert noted that they hope that the research and teaching relationship between the university and the company will expand, and that more and more students graduating from DE MÉK will be present at KITE Zrt.

Laszlo Stendel (b) and Levente Szabo (j) (Photo: Debrecen University)

Laszlo RadochAccording to the head of the Institute of Plant Protection at DE, plant protection is undergoing revolutionary changes. The EU’s ideas for the sector and the challenges of climate change pose challenges to the profession. The head of the foundation also spoke about the fact that EU member states plan to halve the use of traditional agricultural plant protection products based on chemicals in the next two decades. This effort encourages producers and distributors of plant protection products, as well as companies that integrate agricultural production, to make serious developments in the field of plant protection and plant nutrition. As part of the developments, almost the entire range of pesticides and pesticides will be renewed, and new technologies and processes for plant protection will appear. Only well-trained specialists, plant protection engineers and physiotherapists are able to use it professionally and effectively, who are able to use new methods and preparations with sufficient biological knowledge with sufficient efficiency, timely, safe for the environment, user and consumer – emphasized Laszlo Radoch.

As a result of this collaboration, KITE Zrt will also play a larger role in the training of plant medicine students, and the Plant Protection Institute will collaborate with its economic partner in the field of R&D development. Within the framework of cooperation, the two parties plan for further professional training and joint research using modern technologies and preparations.

László HadásziThe General Director of Innovation at KITE Zrt explained that expertise in R&D and innovation has increased and that the renewal of plant protection is in the social interest. In the next decade, the challenges facing the European Union can only be met with the use of scientific knowledge and the training of specialists. For example, it will also highlight the development of the scientific methodology for predictions, the introduction of new tools for plant protection technology, and the protection of microflora – as noted by Laszlo Hadasci.

At the University of Debrecen it is possible to obtain a higher degree in Plant Protection in two forms of training, a full-time Master’s degree in Plant Medicine and a Correspondence in Plant Protection Engineering. According to the plans, the field of plant protection will be included in the specialized exercises of DE and KITE Zrt.

(The images in this article are owned by the University of Debrecen.)