Martha Marina
Bolaños Benavides

Biography

Doctor in Agricultural Sciences from the National University of Colombia – Palmira Campus. MSc in Agricultural Sciences from UNAL Colombia – Bogotá Campus. Biologist from the University of Cauca. She is a researcher with 25 years of experience in the fields of Integrated Soil Management, Soil Conservation, and Efficient Management of Integrated Fertilization. Between 2004 and 2006, she was a Visiting Researcher at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture. Since 1997, she has been a researcher at the Colombian Corporation of Agricultural Research – AGROSAVIA (formerly CORPOICA), where she has held various positions and roles, including Director of AGROSAVIA (formerly CORPOICA) in Armenia (Quindío) from 1998 to 2003, Master Researcher from 1997 to 2006, Research Coordinator at the Palmira Research Center from 2009 to 2010, Acting Director of the Palmira and Tibaitatá Research Centers, and Coordinator of the National Network for Soil and Water Management and Conservation (2006-2012). Since 2006, she has been a Ph.D. Researcher. She is also a member of the Scientific Committee of the AGROSAVIA Fruit Innovation Network. Currently, she is the Head of the Sustainable Intensive Production Department, under the Research and Development Directorate.

Academic Background:

• Undergraduate: Biology. Thesis: Evaluation of Substrates for the Production of Edible Mushrooms: Pleurotus ostreatus and Agaricus campestris.
• Master’s: Agricultural Sciences – Soils. Thesis: Identification of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Colombian Coffee Zone.
• Doctorate: Agricultural Sciences. Soil and Water Management. Thesis: Evaluation of Dehydrogenase, Protease, Phosphatase, and Arylsulfatase Enzymatic Activity in the Rhizosphere of Plantain (Musa AAB): Relationship with Properties of an Andisol.

Research Contributions:

• Development of Integrated Agroclimatic Management Plans for 54 Productive Systems across 18 departments of Colombia.
• Determination of Nutritional Requirements for Blackberry Cultivation at different phenological stages.
• Recommendations for Integrated Fertilization and Dose Fractionation for Blackberry Cultivation based on Nutritional Requirements.
• Study of the Interaction between Nutrition and Plant Health in Crops such as Plantain, Avocado, Baby Banana, Guava, among others.
• Agroecological Production and Efficient Rhizosphere Management in Productive Systems such as Musaceae and Avocado.
• Efficient Management of Integrated Fertilization, Interaction between Mycorrhizae and Nematodes, Soil Recovery, Biofertilization, Risk Reduction, and Climate Change Adaptation in various productive systems such as Plantain, Baby Banana, Avocado, Passion Fruit, Chili, Guava, Livestock Systems, Sheep-Goat and Cattle, Cocoa, Lulo, Lemon, Potato, Tomato, among others.
• Development of an Integrated Management Model for the Plantain Production System (Musa AAB) in the Coffee Region of Colombia.

Projects