Maria do Carmo Horta has a BSc in Agronomic Engineering and a MSc in Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilization by the Agronomic Institute of Lisbon, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal, a Post-graduation in Water Quality and Pollution Control in Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra, Portugal and a PhD in Agronomic Engineering by the University of Cordoba, Spain. She is a full-time Professor in the College of Agriculture (ESACB) at the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Portugal, and the Coordinator of the Laboratory of Soil Fertility of ESA. She is also, since 2018, member of the Technical Scientific Board of the Portuguese Soil Partnership (Portuguese Board of the Global Soil Partnership-FAO), member of the Research Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society (CERNAS), since 2008; member of the Scientific Board of CERNAS since 2008; and member of the GLOSOLAN board (global soil laboratory network organized by FAO), since February 2018.

Professor Carmo main research topics in projects, with international or national funding, focus on soil science, soil fertilization and plant nutrition; sustainable management of phosphorus fertilizers and fertilization; and the use of wastewater and biowastes (biosolids, composts, digestate, bioestimulants) as fertilizers.