Valeria Cafaro
Tutor: Salvatore Cosentino
2020-2023: PhD course in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, University of Catania; supervisor Salvatore Luciano Cosentino. Research project: “Selection of new Ricinus communis L. genotypes and improvement of the agronomic management in order to create a biorefinery in semi-arid Mediterranean environment”. The aim of the project is to optimise the cultivation techniques of Castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis L.) in arid and semi-arid environments in order to maximize yield obtainable in marginal areas and to improve the qualitative characteristics of the oil for the production of biodiesel. Moreover the selection of an improved variety of Ricinus communis will be carried out. The project is divided into two research lines. - Castor cultivation (optimization of cultivation techniques) and evaluation of the bioenergy conversion (biodiesel and bioethanol). - Development of new Castor varieties with high oil content. The first one is splitted into six subline (i) evaluation of the reduction of crop inputs (water), (ii) evaluation of the productivity of different Ricinus communis L. genotypes, in relation to different transplanting and seeding density, (iii) evaluation of the productivity of different Ricinus communis L. genotypes in relation to different harvesting treatments, (iv) qualitative biomass analysis (oil and residual biomass), (v) production of biodiesel and (vi) production of bioethanol.
October 2020: Qualification to the profession of Biologist
June 2019-January 2020: Contamination Lab- Start-Up: Second place winner with project “FISH&TRACK”: the aim is to offer a connection service between restaurant and fisherman, aimed at demonstrating the traceability and traceability of the fish product.
July 2019-February 2020: Internship, CREA-ACM, Corso Savoia-ACIREALE (CT) ITALIA, supervisor: Dott.re Marco Caruso. Project: Disease resistant citrus breeding using newly developed High Resolution Melting and CAPS protocols for Alternaria brown spot marker assisted selection. Research activities: Genetic improvement: propagation, conservation, selection and constitution of new varieties, PCR, nested PCR, HRM, MAS, extraction of DNA, electrophoresis, measurements with the spectrophotometer, extraction of orange pulp, chemical solutions.
2018-2020: Master’s Degree in Agricultural Biotechnology, University of Catania; supervisors Prof.ssa Angela Roberta Lo Piero in collaboration with Dr. Diego Orzaez and Dr. Marta Vázquez Vilar of the University Politecnica of Valencia (UPV): Degree thesis: Tobacco biofactory plants with Prolongued juvenility and increased biomass. Final mark: 110/110 cum Laude.
2015-2018: Bachelor’s Degree on Agricultural Science and Technology. University of Catania; supervisor: prof.ssa Alessandra Gentile. Degree thesis: Le Nuove Biotecnologie sostenibili (NBT) per il miglioramento genetico: potenzialità per l’agricoltura italiana. Final mark: 110/110 cum Laude.
2015: High School diploma, IIS "ENRICO DE NICOLA", San Giovanni la Punta (CT).
The aim of my research is to optimise the cultivation techniques of Castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis L.) in arid and semi-arid environments in order to maximize yield obtainable in marginal areas and to improve the qualitative characteristics of the oil for the production of biodiesel. Moreover the selection of an improved variety of Ricinus communis will be carried out. The project is divided into two research lines. - Castor cultivation (optimization of cultivation techniques) and evaluation of the bioenergy conversion (biodiesel and bioethanol). - Development of new Castor varieties with high oil content. The first one is splitted into six subline (i) evaluation of the reduction of crop inputs (water), (ii) evaluation of the productivity of different Ricinus communis L. genotypes, in relation to different transplanting and seeding density, (iii) evaluation of the productivity of different Ricinus communis L. genotypes in relation to different harvesting treatments, (iv) qualitative biomass analysis (oil and residual biomass), (v) production of biodiesel and (vi) production of bioethanol.
POSTER
Development of High Resolution Melting and CAPS protocols for Alternaria brown spot marker assisted selection in citrus breeding.
| Hortres Conference | 2020 | The 7 th Internation Horticolture Research Conference
RESEARCH ARTICLE (ISI)
Disease resistant citrus breeding using newly developed High Resolution Melting and CAPS protocol for Alternaria brown spot marker assisted selection.
| Agronomy | 2020 | www.mdpi.com/journal/agronomy