Search

This pest survey card was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114), at the request of the European Commission. Its purpose is to guide the Member States in preparing data and information for surveys of citrus leprosis viruses. These are required to design statistically sound and risk-based pest surveys, in line with current international standards. Six of the seven viruses that cause citrus leprosis (CiLV-C, CiLV-C2, HGSV-2, OFV, CiLV-N sensu novo and CiCSV) are clearly defined taxonomic entities, while the status of CiBSV is unclear. CiLV-C, CiLV-C2, HGSV-2, the citrus strain of OFV, CiLV-N sensu novo and CiCSV are Union quarantine pests. Citrus leprosis viruses do not cause systemic infections and they are all exclusively transmitted by mites of the genus Brevipalpus. Brevipalpus mites associated with the transmission of the leprosis disease are present in some regions of EU territory. The commercial citrus species most relevant to the EU are considered susceptible to citrus leprosis disease. There are no ecoclimatic constrains known for the citrus leprosis viruses, except for those affecting their host plants and their mite vectors. Therefore, due to the wide availability of host species and the presence of Brevipalpus mites, all citrus-growing areas in the EU are considered potentially suitable for the viruses to become established. Long-distance spread is likely to occur through movement of viruliferous mites phoretically associated with commodities. Detection of citrus leprosis viruses in the field should be performed by visual examination of symptoms followed by sampling and molecular identification in the laboratory. Visual examination should be preferably conducted in late summer / early autumn. Based on the analyses of the information on the pest-host plant system, the various units that are needed to design a survey should be defined and tailored to the situation in each Member State.

This pest survey card was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114), at the request of the European Commission. Its purpose is to guide the Member States in preparing data and information for Elsinoë australis, E. citricola and E. fawcettii surveys. These are required to design statistically sound and risk-based pest surveys, in line with current international standards. The fungi E. australis, E. citricola and E. fawcettii are clearly defined taxonomic entities causing scab on citrus. Elsinoë australis, E. citricola and E. fawcettii are Union quarantine pests. The import of citrus plants is prohibited while general requirements are in place for the import of citrus fruit, which are the main pathway for entry of these pests into the EU. Elsinoë australis and E. fawcettii produce ascospores in the leaf litter and conidia on lesions in plant tissues that can be disseminated by rain splash and wind, but dispersal distances are not known. Mild temperatures and wetness are necessary for infection and lesions appear after four to six days. The commercial citrus species most relevant for the EU are susceptible to these three fungi. Due to the wide availability of host species and climatic suitability, all citrus-growing areas in the EU are considered potentially suitable for their establishment. Long-distance spread is likely to occur through the movement of infected plant material. To increase the likelihood of detecting the three fungi, visual examination of symptoms should be preferentially conducted in autumn before the harvest period. Symptoms caused by E. australis, E. citricola and E. fawcettii are non-specific, so visual examination should be followed by molecular tests to identify the pests. Based on the analyses of the information on the pest–host plant system, the various units that are needed to design a survey should be defined and tailored to the situation in each Member State.

This pest survey card was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M-2020-0114), at the request of the European Commission. Its purpose is to guide the Member States in preparing data and information for Pseudocercospora angolensis surveys. These are required to design statistically sound and risk-based pest surveys, in line with current international standards. The fungus P. angolensis is a clearly defined taxonomic entity affecting Citrus species. Pseudocercospora angolensis is a Union quarantine pest not known to occur in the EU. The import of host plants is prohibited from third countries while special requirements are in place for the import of host fruit, which is the main pathway for the entry of this pest into the EU. Pseudocercospora angolensis produces conidia on lesions in plant tissues that can be disseminated by wind and/or rain, but dispersal distances are not known. Mild temperatures and prolonged periods of wetness are necessary for infection. Lesions on the leaves and fruit appear two to three weeks after infection. All commercial citrus species are susceptible to the fungus. Due to the wide availability of host species and climatic suitability, all citrus-growing areas in the EU are considered potentially suitable for the establishment of the pest. Long-distance spread is likely to occur through the movement of infected plant material. To increase the likelihood of detecting the pest, visual examination of symptoms should preferably be conducted in autumn before the harvest period. Symptoms caused by P. angolensis are non-specific; therefore, visual examination should be followed by molecular tests to identify the pest. Three main approaches for identifying P. angolensis in the laboratory are presented. Based on the analyses of the information on the pest–host plant system, the various units that are needed to design a survey should be defined and tailored to the situation in each Member State.

La estrategia “De la Granja a la Mesa” del Pacto Verde Europeo, tiene como objetivo la reducción del 50% en el uso de fitosanitarios químicos en 2030, lo que supone un reto sin precedentes para la agricultura de la Unión Europea. En Fitopatología los modelos epidemiológicos se puden desarrollar para describir, entender, predecir y comparar las propias epidemias o sus componentes. Los pasos para desarrollar un modelo epidemiológicos son primero definir los objetivos, revisar la literatura existente y desarrollar su estructura matemática. La validación de los modelos es un paso fundamental, pero muchas veces obviado en la práctica. Los modelos de predicción de enfermedades y los umbrales de intervención son componentes esenciales de los sistemas de ayuda en la toma de decisiones (DSS). A diferencia de los programas de aplicación a calendario, los DSS permiten programar las aplicaciones fungicidas en función del riesgo de la enfermedad, realizando así los tratamientos cuando son realmente necesarios. Mediante una revisión bibliográfica sistemática se seleccionan un total de 80 estudios de evaluación de DSS, que se analizaron conjuntamente con la técnica estadística del metanálisis. Los resultados de este análisis global demuestran que la eficacia de las estrategias DSS es equivalente a las de calendario, pero con la mitad de aplicaciones fungicidas. La adopción de los DSS en el control de enfermedades será por lo tanto determinante para cumplir con el objetivo de reducir un 50% el uso de fitosanitarios en la UE.

El castillo-palacio de los abades de Veruela, ubicado en Bulbuente (Zaragoza), es un edificio reflejo del dominio que tenía el Señorío del Monasterio de Veruela sobre la villa. El abandono sufrido en los últimos años se había traducido en un desconocimiento por parte de la historiografía. Gracias a la rehabilitación finalizada en 2021 para su uso como alojamiento hotelero, se han sacado a la luz nuevos elementos que revelan importantes datos sobre el inmueble y recuperan su interés científico. Entre las noticias más destacadas se encuentran los grafitis históricos, siendo uno de los escaso edificios localizados hasta ahora en la provincia de Zaragoza que los albergan. La aproximación a los grafitis desarrollada en el presente estudio, ha aportado material inédito de gran interés sobre el conjunto, los usos, las funciones y las gentes que lo habitaron.

EFSA developed the “Pest survey card on Xylella fastidiosa” for the preparation of surveys, with the aim of guiding the Member States in gathering information needed for designing statistically sound and risk-based surveys for the pathogen. In particular, it addresses the key question on how to detect the organism. The method of detection needs to be defined and consists of a sequence of operations starting from the selection of the units to inspect, the inspection itself, the sampling of plant material and finally the diagnostic and testing in the laboratory using available protocols. The inspection unit is the elementary subdivision of the host plant population targeted by the survey and to which the detection method is applied. For X. fastidiosa, the inspection units are the individual host plants. A major challenge for the detection of the bacterium is that both symptomatic and asymptomatic plant material should be scrutinised and systematically sampled. This is because infected plants can be asymptomatic for a long and variable period, and symptoms can be confused with drought-induced stress and other biotic or abiotic stresses. Nonetheless, an accurate visual examination to detect Xylella-like symptoms plays a major role during the collection of samples. The performance of the detection method, defined as the overall method sensitivity, should be estimated based on the available information. It is suggested to combine the sampling effectiveness, related to the sampling procedures, and the diagnostic sensitivity, defined by the laboratory tests. Characterising the detection method and its overall sensitivity is necessary for designing a robust survey, and to calculate the survey effort required to detect the pest in terms of number of inspections, samples, and laboratory tests., IT; PPT; giulia.mattion@ext.efsa.europa.eu

EFSA developed the “Pest survey card on Xylella fastidiosa” for the preparation of surveys with the aim of guiding the Member States in gathering information needed for designing statistically sound and risk-based surveys for this pest. Characterising the host plant population targeted by surveys provides an answer to where to perform survey activities. This is a major challenge for surveillance of X. fastidiosa as it can be hosted by about 600 different plant species, growing throughout the EU territory in a variety of environments. For assisting surveyors in their preparatory tasks, the target population can be structured and subdivided in epidemiological units, in which the probability of infection by the bacterium is homogeneous. For this purpose, the “Host plant selection tool” built within the pest survey card provides guidance on the selection of host plants, allocating them in four categories of land use: agricultural, urban, forest and other areas. Rationales are also provided with the purpose of meeting the objectives of the surveys, such as the susceptibility of infection by multiple X. fastidiosa subspecies, the susceptibility of feeding by insect vectors, and the expression of symptoms, since some host species undergo an asymptomatic period. In addition, to prepare a risk-based survey, the target population can be subdivided based on the risk of introduction of X. fastidiosa in an area or on the risk of infection of some host plant species. The risk factors can be introduced in the survey design to better target the survey efforts. An accurate characterisation of the target population using the proposed methodology will help surveyors to design robust statistically sound and risk-based surveys for X. fastidiosa., IT; PPT; giulia.mattion@ext.efsa.europa.eu

Presentations on the tools developed by EFSA for statistically sound and risk-based surveys during the web course "Monitoring and surveillance of olive pathogens" organised by CIHEAM-IAM Zaragoza., EU; PDF; alpha@efsa.europa.eu

El desarrollo de sistemas productivos sostenibles que preserven el medio ambiente y sean inocuos para la salud humana es una prioridad de la agricultura moderna. Uno de estos sistemas con mayor crecimiento es la agricultura ecológica, pero existen dudas si las prácticas agroecológicas pueden hacer frente a las enfermedades y plagas. En este trabajo, se evaluó el riesgo de infección por tres virus en cultivos de tomate convencionales y ecológicos de la Comunidad Valenciana en dos años no consecutivos. El virus del mosaico del tomate tuvo la mayor incidencia mientras que solamente unas pocas plantas se infectaron con el virus del mosaico del pepino. Ninguna planta se infectó con el virus del bronceado del tomate. El riesgo de infección viral fue menor en las parcelas bajo una agricultura ecológica que en las que se practicaba una agricultura convencional.

La Comisión Europea presentó en mayo de 2020 la estrategia “De la granja a la mesa” como una de las iniciativas fundamentales dentro del marco del Pacto Verde Europeo. A fin de contribuir al logro de la neutralidad climática de aquí a 2050, la estrategia pretende hacer evolucionar el sistema alimentario de la Unión Europea (UE) hacia un modelo sostenible con alimentos seguros, nutritivos y de alta calidad para abastecer a más de cuatrocientos millones de ciudadanos, pero con un impacto mínimo sobre el medioambiente. No obstante, debido a la globalización del comercio mundial de vegetales y al cambio climático, el número de enfermedades que afectan a nuestros cultivos se ha incrementado notablemente en las últimas décadas.

Performance of sampling strategies for delimiting Xylella fastidiosa infection in Alicante

With the long-term view of increasing diversification and biodiversity in Europe and fostering sustainable development of bioeconomy, the Diverfarming consortium come together to develop and deploy innovative farming and agribusiness strategies. Diverfarming will increase the long-term resilience, sustainability and economic revenues of agriculture across the EU by assessing the real benefits and minimising the limitations, barriers and drawbacks of diversified cropping systems under low-input agronomic practices that are tailor-made to fit the unique characteristics of six EU pedoclimatic regions (Mediterranean south and north, Atlantic central, Continental, Pannonian and Boreal), and by adapting and optimising the downstream value chains organization. This approach will provide: i) increased overall land productivity; ii) more rational use of farm land and farming inputs (water, energy, machinery, fertilisers, pesticides); ii) improved delivery of ecosystem services by increments in biodiversity and soil quality; iii) proper organization of downstream value chains adapted to the new diversified cropping systems with decreased use of energy; and iv) access to new markets and reduced economy risks by adoption of new products in time and space. The diversified cropping systems will be tested in field case studies for major crops within each pedoclimatic region. In the end, Diverfarming focuses on research and innovation for rural development, with emphasis on developing new framework systems and business models adapted to the rural context of each pedoclimatic area of the EU, to foster sustainable growth through adoption of diversification, sustainable practices and efficient use of resources.

El presente trabajo consiste en un Proyecto de Intervención destinado a jóvenes en edades comprendidas entre 18 y 25 años que, previamente han estado cumpliendo medidas judiciales en el Centro de Educación e Internamiento por Medida Judicial (CEIMJ). Este proyecto tiene el objetivo de ser una propuesta novedosa para el IASS (Instituto Aragonés de Servicios Sociales) dado que, en este campo de intervención, hemos observado déficits entorno a este colectivo de jóvenes a la hora de su reinserción y su salida adelante. Uno de los objetivos principales de este proyecto es evitar la reincidencia de estos jóvenes, así como su posterior entrada en prisión. Pretendemos también reeducar, formar y sobre todo intentar mejorar su calidad de vida y prepararlos de la mejor manera posible para la vida adulta. Destacaremos la coordinación de nuestras acciones con las personas y entidades tanto públicas como privadas que intervienen en los procesos personales, para evitar posibles reincidencias, unir esfuerzos y ser más eficaces en los logros, aminorando así los factores de riesgo.

La contaminación de suelos por elementos traza (ETs) supone un grave problema debido a su naturaleza tóxica y su persistencia en el medio ambiente. La recuperación de estos suelos mediante fitotecnologías, consistentes en la utilización de enmiendas y plantas, favorece la inmovilización de los contaminantes y la estabilización de los suelos, evitando la dispersión de los contaminantes a ecosistemas colindantes. La presente Tesis está centrada en estudiar la acción y el efecto de diferentes enmiendas orgánicas e inorgánicas en la inmovilización de elementos traza en el suelo y sobre la absorción y acumulación de estos elementos en distintas especies vegetales, con el fin de evaluar su utilidad en fitotecnologías de recuperación de suelos. En el presente documento se describen los principales resultados de diversos ensayos realizados en laboratorio y cámara de cultivo utilizando cuatro suelos procedentes de la Sierra Minera de La Unión-Cartagena (Murcia) con diferentes características fisicoquímicas, y un suelo agrícola, procedente de la provincia de Segovia. Como enmiendas orgánicas se utilizaron dos tipos de compost, preparados uno a partir de purín de cerdo y otro a partir de alperujo, y un fertilizante húmico obtenido del compost de purín de cerdo. Las enmiendas inorgánicas utilizadas fueron un fertilizante inorgánico NPK y enmiendas ricas en óxidos de Fe: un óxido comercial, una escoria de la industria de laminación del acero, y un producto comercial a base de óxidos de Fe y Al (derivado del lodo rojo). Las especies vegetales seleccionadas fueron: para los experimentos con suelo minero Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter, Nicotiana glauca R. C. Graham, Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertner, Piptatherum miliaceum (L.) Cosson y Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C. H. Stirton; y para el experimento con suelo agrícola Lactuca sativa L. En los diferentes experimentos se evaluó el crecimiento vegetal y su concentración de nutrientes y de elementos traza, las propiedades del suelo y la fracción de ETs en formas solubles y ligados al complejo de cambio al final del experimento y además la solubilidad de los ETs durante el desarrollo del experimento mediante extracción de la disolución del suelo mediante el uso de rizo-sondas. En los experimentos de laboratorio se determinó la capacidad de adsorción de As en las enmiendas, en los suelos, y la influencia de la adición de compost al suelo en el proceso de adsorción-desorción de As en los suelos, así como la competencia del fosfato en dichos procesos. Los principales resultados obtenidos en los experimentos llevados a cabo en macetas con un suelo minero demostraron que el uso de compost procedente de purín de cerdo disminuyó la concentración de ETs en las plantas de manera más eficiente que el fertilizante húmico, además de aumentar la biomasa de D. viscosa, N. glauca y S. marianum, siendo S. marianum y D. viscosa las especies con menor transporte de As a la parte aérea. Por otro lado, las diferentes técnicas agronómicas evaluadas en este suelo con P. miliaceum demostraron que su crecimiento se vio favorecido en los tratamientos donde se cultivó conjuntamente con B. bituminosa, y que el uso de compost mejoró la asimilación de N en P. miliaceum y no inhibió la nodulación de B. bituminosa. Los estudios de adsorción de As en suelos y enmiendas demostraron que la adsorción de As fue mayor en los suelos mineros, aunque la adición de compost o de fosfato afectó negativamente reduciendo su capacidad de adsorción. Sin embargo, la aplicación de compost en los suelos agrícolas aumentó su baja capacidad de adsorción. En las enmiendas estudiadas, la mayor capacidad de adsorción de As correspondió al óxido de Fe comercial, seguido del producto comercial a base de óxidos de Fe y Al. El compost de alperujo mostró una baja capacidad de adsorción y su materia orgánica soluble estuvo escasamente implicada en el proceso. En el ensayo de maceta con suelo agrícola, se comprobó que la adición de la escoria o el óxido de Fe comercial (solo o conjuntamente con compost de alperujo o fertilizante NPK) disminuyó la concentración de As disponible en el suelo, aunque no tuvo efecto en la concentración de As en las plantas, observándose un aumento en la acumulación de As en las plantas cuando el óxido de Fe fue aplicado conjuntamente con el fertilizante NPK., Soil contamination by trace elements (TEs) is of great concern due to their toxic character and their persistence in the environment. The remediation of these soils through phytotechnologies, consisting in the use of soil amendments and plants, favours the immobilisation of the pollutants and the stabilisation of the soils, limiting the dispersion of the contaminants to the surrounding ecosystems. The aim of this Thesis is to study the action and the effect of different organic and inorganic amendments on the immobilisation of trace elements in the soil and on the absorption and accumulation of TEs by different plant species in order to evaluate their potential use in phytotechnologies for soil remediation. This document describes the main results of the experiments carried out in the laboratory and in a culture chamber, using four soils from the Sierra Minera of La Unión-Cartagena (Murcia, Spain) with different physico-chemical properties, and one agricultural soil from Segovia province. Two types of compost (one prepared from pig slurry and the other one obtained from “alperujo”) and a humic fertiliser obtained from the pig slurry compost were tested as organic amendments. The inorganic amendments used were a NPK inorganic fertiliser and several amendments rich in Fe-oxides: a commercial oxide, a lamination slag (iron oxide-rich rolling mill scale obtained from the hot rolling of steel) and a commercial product composed by Fe and Al oxides (derived from red mud). The plant species selected for each experiment were: for the mining soil Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter, Nicotiana glauca R. C. Graham, Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertner, Piptatherum miliaceum (L.) Cosson and Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C. H. Stirton; and for agricultural soil Lactuca sativa L.. In the different experiments, plant biomass production and both nutrient and trace element concentration in plants were analysed. Soil properties and both soluble and extractable TEs concentration were also evaluated at the end of the experiments; TEs solubility was evaluated throughout the experiments through the extraction of the soil solution using rhizon-samplers. In the laboratory experiments, As adsorption capacity of the amendments and of the soils was determined, as well as the influence of compost addition on As adsorption-desorption capacity of the soil, and the phosphate competition in such processes. The main results obtained in the experiments carried out in pots with a mine soil showed that the compost from the pig slurry decreased the concentration of TEs in plants more efficiently than the humic fertilizer, and increased the plant biomass of D. viscosa, N. glauca and S. marianum; S. marianum and D. viscosa being the species with the lowest transport of As to the aerial part. Also, the different agricultural management practices evaluated on this soil with P. miliaceum showed that the plant growth was enhanced by the treatments where this plant species was cultivated with B. bituminosa, and that the use of compost improved the assimilation of N by P. miliaceum without inhibiting the nodulation of B. bituminosa. The experiment of As adsorption in soils and amendments demonstrated that As adsorption was higher in the mining soils than in the agricultural soil, although the addition of compost or phosphate reduced their As adsorption capacity. However, the application of compost to agricultural soils increased their low As adsorption capacity. In the amendments studied, the highest As adsorption capacity was found in the commercial Fe oxide, followed by the commercial product from red mud (made of Fe and Al oxides). Compost from alperujo showed a low As adsorption capacity and its soluble organic matter was scarcely involved in this process. In the pot experiment with an agricultural soil, the addition of lamination slag or commercial iron oxide (alone or together with compost of “alperujo” or NPK fertiliser) reduced the concentration of available As in the soil, without having any effect on As concentration in the plants. Furthermore, the accumulation of As in the plants was increased when iron oxide was applied with the NPK fertiliser to the soil.