AIAM calls and awards

The Italian Association of Agrometeorology, as stated in the Statute, has among its main objectives to valorize, promote and protect the professional of the agrometeorologist and to encourage initiatives for education, through study courses in agrometeorology.

In this perspective, one of the goals of AIAM is to support the start-up of young scholars in research on agrometeorological issues. For this reason, every year two awards for thesis (master's degree and doctoral - post-doctoral Master) on agrometeorological topic are announced (see Thesis Award 2012 in italian).

As usual, the official announcement of the winners takes place during the Annual AIAM Conference and young scholars have the opportunity to present the main results of their research to the participants.

Last year, during the fifteenth AIAM Conference 2012 - "New agro-environmental scenarios: phenology, agricultural production and adversity.", held in Palermo on June 5 to 7, resulted winners:

• Marco Carozzi for a Ph.D. Thesis in Agricultural Ecology: "Ammonia Emissions From Arable Lands In Po Valley: Methodologies, Dynamics And Quantification", Supervisor Prof. Marco Acutis, presented at the University of Milano

• Ana Sofia Parreira Cortez Fernandes de Oliveira for a Ph.D. Thesis in Agrometeorology and Ecophysiology of Agricultural and Forestry Eco-Systems: "Deficit irrigation strategies in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). Ecophysiologic responses, growth-yield balance, canopy and cluster microclimate for improving quality under mediterranean climate"; Tutor Prof. Giovanni Nieddu, presented at the University of Sassari.

AIAM of course does not lose sight of the well-established scientists. In order to valorize the skills of the brightest researchers of the association, it was established a symbolic prize for the best research paper in agrometeorological disciplines, whose content is recognized as relevant for the association (see Best Paper Award 2012 in italian)

As before, the official proclamation of the winning article and its presentation take place during the AIAM Annual Conference.

Last year the winner was:

• A. Caffarra, E. Eccel (2011) "Projecting the impacts of climate change on the phenology of grapevine in a mountain area". Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research - Vol. 17).