PhD Opportunity in Sustainable Agriculture and Water Efficiency in Horticulture at IRTA Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology in Spain

IRTA (Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology) in Cabrils, Catalonia, Spain is advertising a PhD Candidate position in sustainable agriculture, horticulture, and water efficiency. The project focuses on improving water use in horticultural systems through the innovative use of organic materials such as wool, woody products, compost, and digestates. The research also examines effects on soil fertility, carbon, and performance under different edaphoclimatic conditions.

The PhD candidate will join the Sustainability in Biosystems Program and Sustainable Plant Protection teams. The work includes characterising residual products, testing their treatment and use as mulching materials or organic amendments, exploring alternatives to peat in soilless production, coordinating experiments, managing data, performing statistical analysis, and writing scientific and technical outputs.

Eligibility highlights: applicants should hold a Master’s in Agriculture, Agrobiology, Biology, or a related area, or meet the Catalonian doctoral access requirements with 60–120 ECTS at master’s level or equivalent. A previous PhD is not allowed. The post asks for experience with horticultural crops, knowledge of residual materials, Excel, and statistics (R or SAS), plus strong English and teamwork skills. Catalan and Spanish are valued, and a B driving licence is desirable.

Funding: this is a 4-year PhD contract with a gross annual salary of €19,656.35 in years 1–2, €21,060.37 in year 3, and €26,325.47 in year 4. IRTA also covers doctoral school fees at enrolment.

How to apply: submit a CV and motivation letter via the IRTA vacancy portal. The post indicates an application window of 20 natural days from publication, followed by interviews/tests over the next 20 working days. The expected contract start is around September 2026.