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Abstract Background Oilseed rape (OSR; Brassica napus L.) is a highly valued crop for food, feed and industrial use. It is primarily grown in temperate climates, and over recent decades, its area of production and profitability have increased. Concurrently, several diseases negatively impact OSR production. Diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens, pose a risk of substantial yield loss since crop rotation schemes have become narrow as the time lapse between OSR crops in a field has been shortened. The aims of this paper were to provide an overview of plant protection measures available for OSR production and to identify knowledge gaps and areas where more research is needed. Methods This systematic map builds on a previously published protocol and follows the ROSES reporting standard. The search strategy was developed in collaboration with stakeholders and designed to cover available scientific evidence for OSR disease management in climate zones relevant for Scandinavian crop production (Dfc, Dfb, Cfb and Cfa in the Köppen-Geiger climate classification). Five scientific databases were used to identify peer-reviewed literature, complemented by additional searches performed in grey literature. Articles were screened at three stages: the title, abstract and full text. The eligible publications included studies of OSR crops, and all measures to control crop disease in agricultural fields were considered eligible interventions. The comparator was intervention and no intervention, and the yield per unit area, disease suppression or an increase in crop quality were determined to be outcomes of interventions. A basic assessment of the experimental design of each study was performed to assess its eligibility. All articles were coded based on the following categories: the location and climate zone, disease, pathogen, intervention and management method, outcome and study design. Articles not reporting original data but judged to be relevant (i.e., review papers, books and notes of registration of cultivars) were saved in a separate category called “books, reviews and reports”. Review findings A total of 4633 articles were collected through systematic searches. After duplicates were removed, 3513 articles were included in the screening process. After screening at the title and abstract levels, 897 articles were evaluated at the full text level, and 118 articles comprised the studies that met the eligibility criteria of the systematic map. The country (Canada) and region (Europe) with the largest OSR crop production areas also contributed the highest number of articles. In total, 17 different diseases were reported, with black leg (syn. Phoma stem canker) being the most studied disease. Nineteen different intervention methods or management types were examined. Cultivar resistance and pesticide application were the most studied control measures. Conclusion We report scientific studies on plant disease protection measures for OSR based on field trials where the results are intended to be directly implemented in crop production management. The map clearly provides an overview of research progress throughout the time period chosen, and it identifies knowledge gaps regarding important diseases where only a few studies have been published, for example, diseases caused by viruses.

Abstract Background Oat (Avena sativa L.) is an important cereal crop for livestock feed and human consumption. The largest oat-producing countries are located in the Northern Hemisphere with Sweden as the tenth largest producer. Oat production is challenged by different diseases that can lead to significant yield reductions and impaired grain quality. The use of efficient and sustainable plant protection management is of great economic and ecological importance. The systematic map in this study aims to provide a knowledge base inventory and to identify areas that need to be researched in the future in terms of plant disease management for more sustainable oat production. Methods Literature searches were conducted in both academic bibliographic databases and relevant online sources of grey literature. A time-span restriction of 40 years (1978–2018) was applied to the searches. English was used in all searches, and Swedish, Norwegian and Danish languages were used in the grey literature searches. The screening process, which followed a protocol with eligibility criteria, was conducted at three levels: title, abstract and full text. Metadata incorporating bibliographic information, study location, climatic zone, disease name, the common and scientific names of the disease-causing organism, pathogen type, intervention and management methods, diseased plant part, plant stage, and outcome were extracted from the studies and included in the systematic map. The systematic map findings are visualized in figures and tables and described. All included studies can be found in a searchable database. Review findings A total of 58 eligible articles, most (n = 51) from scientific journals published in English, were included in the systematic map. A majority of the studies were conducted in the Northern Hemisphere in temperate climatic zones, where most of the world’s oats are produced. The earliest article was published in 1980, followed by an oscillating temporal distribution of articles over the following years. By country, Canada had the highest number of articles, and by region, Europe had the highest number. Fungi were the most studied pathogen type, and a total of 16 different diseases were reported. Fusarium head blight (Fusarium spp.) and crown rust (Puccinia coronata) were the most studied diseases. In total, 17 different intervention management approaches for controlling the diseases were analyzed in the articles, with cultivar resistance and pesticide application as the most studied methods. Conclusion The map highlights the low quantity of available relevant field research on oat disease management. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic map of crop protection. This map provides a database of scientific literature that can be used to develop sustainable disease management strategies. The method used in this study has great potential and can also be used to benefit other crops. Research is often based on the availability of funding, and this map could be a useful tool for researchers and funding organizations to identify relevant research topics that need to be further studied. In addition, this systematic map offers a useful tool for field-based advisors in providing scientifically relevant crop protection strategies for farmers.

Abstract Background Tick distribution in Sweden has increased in recent years, with the prevalence of ticks predicted to spread towards the northern parts of the country, thus increasing the risk of tick-borne zoonoses in new regions. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is the most significant viral tick-borne zoonotic disease in Europe. The disease is caused by TBE virus (TBEV) infection which often leads to severe encephalitis and myelitis in humans. TBEV is usually transmitted to humans via tick bites; however, the virus can also be excreted in the milk of goats, sheep and cattle and infection may then occur via consumption of unpasteurised dairy products. Virus prevalence in questing ticks is an unreliable indicator of TBE infection risk as viral RNA is rarely detected even in large sample sizes collected at TBE-endemic areas. Hence, there is a need for robust surveillance techniques to identify emerging TBEV risk areas at early stages. Methods Milk and colostrum samples were collected from sheep and goats in Örebro County, Sweden. The milk samples were analysed for the presence of TBEV antibodies by ELISA and validated by western blot in which milk samples were used to detect over-expressed TBEV E-protein in crude cell extracts. Neutralising titers were determined by focus reduction neutralisation test (FRNT). The stability of TBEV in milk and colostrum was studied at different temperatures. Results In this study we have developed a novel strategy to identify new TBEV foci. By monitoring TBEV antibodies in milk, we have identified three previously unknown foci in Örebro County which also overlap with areas of TBE infection reported during 2009–2018. In addition, our data indicates that keeping unpasteurised milk at 4 °C will preserve the infectivity of TBEV for several days. Conclusions Altogether, we report a non-invasive surveillance technique for revealing risk areas for TBE in Sweden, by detecting TBEV antibodies in sheep milk. This approach is robust and reliable and can accordingly be used to map TBEV “hotspots”. TBEV infectivity in refrigerated milk was preserved, emphasising the importance of pasteurisation (i.e. 72 °C for 15 s) prior to consumption.