Dr. Alon Ben-Gal is a senior researcher in the Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Gilat Research Center. Dr. Ben-Gal's interest focus is self-described as: "X-treme agriculture: managing water in the arid zones". His research and expertise include: irrigation of crops; agricultural utilization of non-conventional water sources including saline water, recycled wastewater, and desalinated water; optimization of water under irrigation in arid regions; plant response to environmental stress conditions; variable rate irrigation, and flow and transport of water and solutes in the vadose zone. Alon is the author of over 170 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters. He enjoys active multi-disciplinary regional and multi-national collaboration on topics including agronomic, environmental, and economic consideration of irrigation with low-quality water and the promotion of agricultural water productivity. 

Dr. Diego Intrigliolo is a senior researcher and director at the Desertification Research Center (CIDE) (CSIC-UV-GVA) working on applied aspects of agricultural water management and viticulture with the aim of improving on-farm irrigation efficiency and indeed water productivity. More recently, began to pay attention at the genetic material and how, in woody crops, the rootstock and the scion can determine water use efficiency responses to the field practices. The final goal is to integrate individual processes to the whole plant and what growers can do to improve plant productivity and crop composition. In our lab, the on-farm practices are upscaled at the whole basin level in order to quantify the final impacts of specific actions to the whole water cycle and how water use efficiency at the catchment level is finally affected. This is carried out employing technologies related with remote sensing tools coupled with crop and water models. Has served as associate editor for Irrigation Science (2013-2024) and for Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research (2021-2024) and he is member of the scientific advisory board for the PRIMA Joint Programme “Partnership for research and innovation in the Mediterranean area” supporting in the development of this successful international funding initiative.

Dr. Maria Calabritto completed a three-year PhD in fruit tree ecophysiology at the University of Basilicata in 2025 and subsequently started a research fellowship. In 2021 she obtained a Master's degree in Agricultural Science and Technology. Research activities are mainly focused on: evaluation of physiological responses of fruit tree crops to environmental and different soil water availability conditions in the Mediterranean region; precision irrigation and sustainable soil management strategies at field scale; image-based (high-throughput plant phenotyping) and physiological assessment of plant water stress response for screening of more tolerant genotypes. In 2024, she spent 3-month of research in the group of Prof. Kathy Steppe at the Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering (Ghent University), focusing on plant sensor measurements and mechanistic modelling to provide insights into kiwifruit vine hydraulics and to support irrigation decisions in fruit tree crops. During her PhD, she collaborated with Dr. Steve Green to define the water requirements of kiwifruit in the Mediterranean region. She has participated in national and international conferences (oral presentation at the X International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops, South Africa 2023, and oral presentation at the XIV Giornate Scientifiche SOI, Turin 2023), training courses (COST FruitCREWS Training School on Plant Sensors and Modelling, Ghent University 2024; Emphasis Training Programme on Affordable Phenotyping, Metaponto 2023) and is involved in national and European projects.

Dr. Huihui Zhang is a Research Scientist at the Water Management and Systems Research Unit, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, and an associate faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on developing innovative irrigation management strategies using remote sensing technologies. Dr. Zhang has led projects funded by NASA, NIFA, and the Office of Naval Research, with a focus on unmanned aerial-based solutions for precision irrigation in agriculture. Dr. Zhang has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications. She also serves as an editor, reviewer, and advisory board member for several scientific journals and a review panelist for major research programs.

Dr. Brunella Morandi is associate Professor and Coordinator of the Master Degree on Agricultural Sciences and Technologies at the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences of the University of Bologna. PhD in fruit orchard management, author of more than 80 publications in international referenced journals and has joined the scientific and organizing committee of many international symposia. Her research focuses on studying tree water relations with a special focus on fruit growth with the aim to develop new strategies to improve water use efficiency, while maintaining production quality and yields, in conditions of water scarcity and climate change. She is Chair of the COST Action CA21142 “FruitCREWS” and of the EUFRIN Working Group on “Water Relations and Irrigation” and Co-Chair of the Irrigation Working Group of the Italian Society for horticultural Science. She coordinates national and international competitive projects addressing issues related to sustainable fruit production, fruit quality and efficient water use.

Dr. Jordi Oliver is an agronomic engineer who recently earned his PhD in Agricultural and Food Science and Technology from the University of Lleida. After completing his previous degree, he spent 10 years providing technical support for research in irrigation management, water relations of different agricultural crops, and advanced technologies to aid irrigation decisions. During this time, he co-authored two Q1 journal publications and contributed to numerous Spanish and European research projects. In 2019, Jordi began his PhD at the Efficient Use of Water in Agriculture program at the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) in Catalonia, Spain. His research focused on plant carbon dynamics, biomass partitioning, and water relations of summer-pruned grapevines, culminating in four Q1 publications and receiving the final grade of Excellent Cum Laude. Currently, Jordi coordinates a new and innovative team at IRTA, aiming to enhance knowledge transfer between research and the Catalan agricultural sector. His work focuses on identifying, understanding, and solving real-world agricultural water issues.