Marco Di Domenico
Tutor: Pompeo Suma
WORK EXPERIENCE:
TEMPORARY RESEARCH FELLOW – UNIVERSITY OF CATANIA: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES – 12.12.2023 – 11.12.2025 – CATANIA, ITALY
- Field, semi-field, and laboratory research on the management of economically important pests infesting protected and open-field crops;
- In-depth knowledge of Microsoft Office programs for graphic presentations and data organization;
- Knowledge of statistical analysis software (e.g., ARM, Statistica software, R);
- Increasing and maintaining phytophagous populations, essential for laboratory and/or semi-field experiments.
FIELD EXPERIMENTER (31.01.2023 – 17.03.2023)
Experimental efficacy test with research activities through field surveys and sampling for laboratory observations, followed by data processing (using ARM software) useful for the registration of a myco-insecticide product. This activity was made possible thanks to the collaboration of AGRIFUTUR S.r.l.(https://www.agrifutur.com/), the company producing the myco-insecticide formulation undergoing registration. Additionally, Biofarm S.r.l. (https://www.centrodisaggiobiofarm.it/), an authorized testing center responsible for carrying out the treatments following the preparation of the relevant protocol, and the University of Catania (Di3A) were also involved in this trial.
TECHNICAL CONSULTANT – RUDI SNC – 01.09.2018 – 07.12.2023 – CATANIA, ITALY – Email: rudisnc@gmail.com – Website: https://www.rudisnc.it/
- Warehouse management.
- Interface with suppliers.
- Agronomic support for farmers using biostimulants in the field.
HACCP MANUAL TRAINING – RUDI SNC – 11.2017 – 12.2017 – CATANIA
Work experience, during which I expanded my knowledge of food quality and safety regulations, particularly Regulations (EC) No. 852 and 853 on food hygiene, through collateral training experiences, including training of food safety personnel, hazard analysis, and C.C.P. identification; I also delved into aspects related to certain mandatory self-control procedures for companies operating in the sector (HACCP).
EDUCATION AND TRAINING:
PHD IN AGRICULTURAL, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE - UNIVERSITY OF CATANIA: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Research project entitled: New bio-insecticides and environment safe strategies for integrated management of alien sap-sucking insects and invasive quarantine pests in European agriculture
MASTER'S DEGREE IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGIES – PLANT PROTECTION TECHNOLOGIES CURRICULUM (21.04.2023) – UNIVERSITY OF CATANIA: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
- Final grade: 110 cum laude
- EQF Level 7
- Number of credits: 120
- Thesis: Efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum Petch for the control of aleurodids on eggplants in protected culture.
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGIES (27.07.2018) – UNIVERSITY OF CATANIA: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
- EQF Level 6
- Number of credits: 166
- Thesis: Glyphosate, effects on the environment and health.
BI LEVEL B2 CERTIFICATE IN ESOL INTERNATIONAL (B2 CEFR), BRITISH INSTITUTES (12.06.2024) – Website: http://bieb.britishinstitutes.org
- Skills: Use of English; Reading; Writing; Listening; Speaking.
- EQF Level 5.
ICDL FULL STANDARD (23.03.2024) certified by AICA – Italian Association for Informatics and Automatic Computing – Website: https://www.aicadigitalacademy.it/aica_academy/
- Skills: Computer Essentials; IT Security; Online Essentials; Online Collaboration; PowerPoint; Spreadsheets (Excel); Word.
- EQF Level 4.
SPECIALIZATION IN IT SECURITY (12.10.2017) certified by DIDASCA – Website: https://sites.google.com/didasca.org/ecdl-info/home
- EQF Level 4.
"MATE-PRATICA": MATHEMATICS USEFUL FOR AGRO-FOOD SCIENCES (13.11.2023) – Federica Web Learning, Federico II University of Naples. - Website: https://www.federica.eu/
STATE QUALIFICATION AS DOCTOR IN AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY (17.11.2023) – UNIVERSITY OF CATANIA: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES.
PARTICIPATION IN PROJECTS:
VIRTIGATION project H2020 (01.06.2021 – 01.12.2025) – Website: https://virtigation.eu/
- Project tasks involved: Varietal susceptibility of Cucurbitaceae, genotypically characterized, to aleurodid infestations and subsequent viral infections by Begomovirus, and investigations on the efficacy of new plant extracts for the eco-compatible control of aleurodid vectors and viroses on Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae cultivated in greenhouses.
- Rapisarda C., Di Domenico M., Farina A., Massimino Cocuzza G.E., Suma P., 2024. Biological control of whiteflies on protected vegetable crops in Sicily (south Italy): from illusions to reality. Third International Congress of Biological Control, San José (Costa Rica) 24-27 June 2024, Scientific Program and Abstract Book: 62 (Session 4-O3). [Biological control of whiteflies on protected vegetable crops in Sicily (south Italy): from illusions to reality (unict.it)]. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13903477
- Di Domenico M., Farina A., Rapisarda C., Suma P., 2024. The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum Petch for the control of whiteflies in protected cultivation. 19th Meeting of the IOBC-WPRS WG “Microbial and Nematode Control of Invertebrate Pests”, 8-11 September 2024, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13984384 ;
- Farina A., Di Domenico M., Girgenti L., Massimino Cocuzza G.E., Suma P., Rapisarda C., 2024. New integrated approaches to control Bemisia spp. gr. tabaci and their related virus problems on vegetable crops. XV International Agriculture Symposium "AGROSYM 2024", 10.13 October 2024, Jahorina (Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina). ISBN: 978-99976-816-5-2;
- Farina, A., Di Domenico, M., Girgenti, L., Massimino Cocuzza, G. E., Suma, P., & Rapisarda, C. (2024). New integrated approaches to control Bemisia spp. gr. tabaci and their related virus problems on vegetable crops. In XV International Agriculture Symposium "AGROSYM 2024", Jahorina (Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina), 10–13 October 2024. ISBN: 978-99976-816-5-2. https://www.iris.unict.it/handle/20.500.11769/641289 ;
- Girgenti, L. M., Di Domenico, M., Catalano, S., Rachdi, R., Farina, A., Massimino Cocuzza, G. E., Rapisarda, C., & Suma, P. (2025, June). Potential use of mealworm frass as fertilizer and repellent in circular economy. In Book of Abstracts of the XXVIII Congresso Nazionale Italiano di Entomologia (p. 140). Siena, Italy. ISBN 979-12-5550-010-5. https://cnie2025siena.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/160625_Book_Abstract_CNIE2025-ENG-v1_compressed.pdf ;
- Di Domenico, M., Farina, A., Girgenti, L. M., Rapisarda, C., & Suma, P. (2025, June). The biological control of whiteflies for the protection of horticultural crops: An overview based on a cross-sectional survey administered in Sicily. In Book of Abstracts of the XXVIII Congresso Nazionale Italiano di Entomologia (p. 479). Siena, Italy. ISBN 979-12-5550-010-5. https://cnie2025siena.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/160625_Book_Abstract_CNIE2025-ENG-v1_compressed.pdf ;
- Di Domenico, M., Farina, A., Rapisarda, C., Massimino Cocuzza, G. E., & Suma, P. (2024). The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum Petch for the control of whiteflies in protected cultivation. IOBC-WPRS Bulletin, 115, 8–13. ISSN: 1027-3115. https://iobc-wprs.org/product/the-entomopathogenic-fungus-metarhizium-brunneum-petch-for-the-control-of-whiteflies-in-protected-cultivation/ ;
- Farina, A., Di Domenico, M., Girgenti, L. M., Massimino Cocuzza, G. E., Rapisarda, C., & Suma, P. (2025, September). Susceptibility of different cucumber genotypes to the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci. In Book of Abstracts: 16th Meeting of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group "Promoting integrated pest management in protected crops in a changing Europe and Mediterranean basin" (p. 44). [Conference abstract]. Podgorica, Montenegro. ISBN: 978-86-7272-631-5. https://montenegro-adventures.com/StimPack/Files/10551/Book-of-Abstracts.pdf ;
- Sabarit, B., Convertini, S., Di Domenico, M., Farina, A., Fenio, A., Gilarte, P., Girgenti, L. M., Golyaev, V., Hanssen, I., Huysmans, M., López, G., Martínez-Gaitán, C., Massimino Cocuzza, G. E., Mertens, R., Richter, E., Sánchez-Barranco, C., Schmidt, M., Soetemans, L., Suma, P., Vanderschuren, H., Vasudevan, K., Vogel, E., & Rapisarda, C. (2025, September). New plant-extracted insecticides for integrated control of whiteflies in vegetable protected crops. In Promoting integrated pest management in protected crops in a changing Europe and Mediterranean basin: Book of Abstracts, 16th Meeting of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group (p. 46). [Conference abstract]. Podgorica, Montenegro. ISBN: 978-86-7272-631-5. https://montenegro-adventures.com/StimPack/Files/10551/Book-of-Abstracts.pdf ;
- Rapisarda, C., Di Domenico, M., Farina, A., Giarratana, R., Girgenti, L. M., Iabichella, G., Rachdi, R., & Suma, P. (2025, September). New challenges in IPM on tomato: Plastics for roofing agrivoltaic greenhouses. In Promoting integrated pest management in protected crops in a changing Europe and Mediterranean basin: Book of Abstracts, 16th Meeting of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group (p. 70). [Conference abstract]. Podgorica, Montenegro. ISBN: 978-86-7272-631-5. https://montenegro-adventures.com/StimPack/Files/10551/Book-of-Abstracts.pdf;
- Barone, M. M., Panno, S., Agrò, G., Yahyaoui, E., Caruso, A. G., Iacono, G., Farina, A., Di Domenico, M., Rapisarda, C., & Davino, S. (2025). Decentralized solutions for tomato virus control: A sustainable approach to crop protection [Conference paper abstract]. In Book of Abstracts: XXX Congress of the Italian Phytopathological Society (SIPaV 2025) (p. 40). Catania, Italy: Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentare e Ambiente (Di3A).