Summer School 2026: Sustainable Weed Management and By-Product Valorization

The international COST Action WeedingMAPs project is pleased to announce its upcoming Summer School in Catania, Sicily, from June 29 to July 3, 2026. This intensive training program focuses on sustainable, non-chemical weed management (NCWM) and the innovative use of residues in medicinal and aromatic plants. Participants will explore how to bridge the gap between field-based research and practical circular economy applications.

Exploring the entire value chain of medicinal and aromatic plants

This five-day training program brings together a diverse network of researchers and practitioners to explore the entire value chain of medicinal and aromatic plants. Participants will begin by analyzing the current state of the art in weed management and evaluating the drivers and barriers to adopting non-chemical methods, including policy implications under the EU Green Deal. Expert-led sessions will showcase technological advances, such as automation and robotics, alongside discussions on achieving alkaloid-free cultivation.

Hands-on laboratory sessions

A major focus of the course is the chemical characterization and utilization of post-distillation residues and hydrolates. Led by international experts, participants will study the composition of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and terpenes found in liquid and solid residues. Hands-on laboratory sessions hosted at the University of Catania will train participants in analytical techniques like spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure moisture, ash, protein, and cellulose content. These laboratory insights will connect directly to industrial applications, including the production of biofuels, cosmetics, food additives, pellets, and biochar.

Field visits in Sicily

To bridge theory and practice, the program features two extensive field visits across Sicily. Participants will visit companies and farms devoted to MAP sector during 2 days. The final day transitions from knowledge to action with research flash presentations and an interactive round table discussion on scaling up these solutions through multi-actor collaboration. The course concludes with a dynamic group exercise where students collaborate to design a viable non-chemical weed management strategy for a hypothetical farm.

Further Information

Contact:

Anja Vieweger, FiBL, Switzerland
Juliana Navarro Rocha, CITA Aragón, Spain
Ferdinando Branca, University of Catania, Italy

Link:

weedingmaps.eu: Event Page
www.cost.eu: Project entry "weedingMAPs"