IPSEELON

The sectors of field crops, seeds and seedlings, and processed fruits and vegetables are facing a reduction in the number of active ingredients authorized in the European Union. They share the common challenge of being exposed to intense pressure from piercing-sucking insects, sometimes the same polyphagous species. Some of these insects can transmit a wide range of diseases. 

These pests and associated pathogens benefit from an environment conducive to their persistence in space and time through nearby cultivated and wild plants. Managing them is therefore particularly complex and requires anticipating the dynamics of vectors and pathogens in their environment, relying on prophylactic, integrated, and risk-characterization approaches.

The project, which focuses on more than thirty combinations of plants, pests, and pathogens, aims to develop, propose, and promote innovative, effective, and sustainable technical solutions for managing these pests across a range of strategic crops. It is structured around the following objectives:
• Deepen knowledge of the damage caused by piercing-sucking pests and their interactions with transmitted microorganisms, understand the factors that facilitate their establishment, and develop new molecular tools for detection and identification.
• Develop epidemiological surveillance networks for insect presence, identify the scale of spread of insect pests and diseases, test monitoring tools, and use these data to develop tools for predicting the population dynamics of vectors and/or diseases.
• Evaluate the intrinsic effectiveness of various direct control methods, such as biocontrol or physical control methods, as well as their optimal conditions for use.
• Evaluate the durability of varietal resistance, search for new sources of resistance to viruses, and characterize the post-registration varietal effect on susceptibility and resistance to sucking pests and diseases.
• Evaluate the effect of cultural practices on pest pressure.
• Identify and implement preventive measures to be coordinated at the regional level to prevent the spread of pests and diseases, and evaluate appropriate combinations of control strategies.
• Organize exchanges with other ongoing PARSADA projects or projects related to the theme to inform the project’s direction.
• Transfer, share, and disseminate the knowledge generated throughout the project.
 

• Summary of pest damage and
vector-disease interactions• Pest and disease identification guides for field workers and growers
• Identification of effective traps, including connected ones, for pest
monitoring• Establishment of common pest monitoring protocols across sectors•
    Deployment and improvement of the aphid and
leafhopper monitoring network• Transfer of molecular detection tools, including rapid detection methods, to stakeholders’
technical centers and laboratories• Data for developing models to predict disease and vector
dynamics• Prototype OAD for
pest/disease risk forecasting•    List of biocontrol products with targets, testing methodologies, efficacy assessments, and technical recommendations on application
methods• Characterization of varieties and genes of interest regarding pests and diseases, and deployment of service
plants• Characterization and deployment of service
plants•    List of measures to be implemented to control pests•
Publication of guides on preventive agricultural practices conducive to pest
reduction• Training of technicians and producers to adopt these
practices• Organization of technical workshops to present testing
platforms• Communications/webinars and communication materials (written, oral, website, and videos)