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The selection of a safe place to rest at night may be an essential survival strategy for diurnal animals. Despite the importance of parasitoid wasps as consumers in terrestrial ecosystems, their selection of sites to rest and their mortality during the night have not been measured, to the best of our knowledge, reflective of a general lack of understanding of resting behaviours of insects in the field. Here, we used parasitoid wasps of the genus Aphytis (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), the highly successful biological control agents of the California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), to study the resting ecology of parasitoids in the field over space and time, considering both external and internal correlates of parasitoid resting behaviour. At night, Aphytis wasps tended to rest on citrus tree leaves, which have a lower host density, but also fewer predators and a greater density of food sources for adult wasps, compared to fruit and branches. On this plant substrate, most of the population avoided predators and survived the night. Aphytis wasps selected leaves on which to rest at night in a nonrandom fashion. They tended to aggregate on leaves with high densities of hosts and food sources (honeydew) and with low densities of potential predators. During the day, wasps with lower egg loads tended to remain on leaves, likely resting and maturing eggs. Overall, our results demonstrate, for the first time, that parasitoids select certain sites at which to rest safely at night. These findings also suggest that the availability of safe resting places could be a valuable resource for beneficial insects in agroecosystems, especially those that have life spans extending over multiple days.

Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is a predatory mite, effective at controlling whiteflies and thrips in protected crops. However, on tomato its efficacy as a biocontrol agent is hindered, most probably by the plant trichomes and their exudates. Our aim was to characterize the response of A. swirskii to the tomato trichome exudates and identify three major detoxification gene sets in this species: cytochromes P450 (CYPs), glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and carboxyl/cholinesterases (CCEs). Mites were exposed separately to tomato and pepper, a favourable host plant for A. swirskii, after which their transcriptional responses were analysed and compared. The de novo transcriptome assembly resulted in 71,336 unigenes with 66.1% of them annotated. Thirty-nine A. swirskii genes were differentially expressed after transfer on tomato leaves when compared to pepper leaves; some of the expressed genes were associated with the metabolism of tomato exudates. Our results illustrate that the detoxification gene sets CYPs, GSTs and CCEs are abundant in A. swirskii, but do not play a significant role when in contact with the tomato exudates.

Mandarin production has increased in recent years, especially for fresh consumption, due to its ease of peeling, its aroma, and its content of bioactive compounds. In this sense, aromas play a fundamental role in the sensory quality of this fruit. The selection of the appropriate rootstock is crucial for the success of the crop and its quality. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the influence of 9 rootstocks (“Carrizo citrange”, “Swingle citrumelo CPB 4475”, “Macrophylla”, “Volkameriana”, “Forner-Alcaide 5”, “Forner-Alcaide V17”, “C-35”, “Forner-Alcaide 418”, and “Forner-Alcaide 517”) on the volatile composition of “Clemenules” mandarin. For this, the volatile compounds of mandarin juice were measured using headspace solid-phase micro-extraction in a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Seventy-one volatile compounds were identified in the analyzed samples, with limonene being the main compound. The results obtained showed that the rootstock used in the cultivation of mandarins affects the volatile content of the juice, with “Carrizo citrange”, “Forner-Alcaide 5”, “Forner-Alcaide 418”, and “Forner-Alcaide 517” being those that presented the highest concentration.

Plant essential oils (PEOs) are being studied as a potential alternative to synthetic pesticides in agriculture. PEOs have the potential to control pests both directly, by being toxic or repellent to pests, and indirectly, by activating plant’s defense mechanisms. In this study, the effectiveness of five PEOs (Achillea millefolium, Allium sativum, Rosmarinus officinallis, Tagetes minuta, and Thymus zygis) on controlling Tuta absoluta and their impact on the predator Nesidiocoris tenuis was examined. The study revelead that PEOs from A. millefolium and A. sativum-sprayed plants significantly reduced the number of T. absoluta-infested leaflets and did not affect the establishment and reproduction of N. tenuis. Additionally, the spraying of A. millefolium and A. sativum increased the expression of defense genes in the plants, triggering the release of herbivory-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs), such as C6 green leaf volatiles, monoterpenes, and aldehydes, which can be messengers in tritrophic interactions. The results suggest that PEOs from A. millefolium and A. sativum can provide a dual benefit for controlling arthropod pests, as they can directly exhibit toxicity against these pests while also activating plant defense mechanisms. Overall, this study provides new insights into using PEOs as a sustainable solution for controlling pests and diseases in agriculture, by reducing synthetic pesticides and promoting the use of natural predators.

Nowadays, the food industry is integrating environmental, social, and health parameters to increase its sustainable impact. To do this, they are using new tools to calculate the potential efficiency of nutritional products with lower levels of environmental impact. One of these tools is called the ‘nutritional footprint’, created by Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy GmbH. This study aims to review this concept and clarify its historical development, its use in several sectors of the food industry, and its transformation from a manual to an online tool. Results reflected that it is a suitable indicator that integrates nutritional, environmental, and social-economic dimensions to help the decision-making process in the procurement of more sustainable products and, although it is limited to Germany due to the use of the national standard nutritional intakes of Germany, its importance lies in the fact that is a promising instrument to promote environmental sustainability in the context of food, meals, and the hotel, restaurant and catering (HoReCa) sectors.

Background: Delottococcus aberiae is an invasive mealybug that produces severe damage in Spanish citrus. This mealybug has established a mutualistic relationship with native Mediterranean ant species that may limit biological control of this pest. Herein, we evaluated the effect of tending ants on the biological control of D. aberiae. To do this, we compared: (I) the density of D. aberiae, (II) the density of its natural enemies, and (III) the damage produced by the mealybug in trees with (control) and without ants (ants excluded with sticky barriers) in two citrus orchards across two consecutive years. Results: Lasius grandis was the most abundant ant species in both orchards and represented more than 95% of the ants tending D. aberiae in control trees. Spiders and lacewings were the most abundant predators observed in mealybug colonies, and the exclusion of mutualistic ants increased their abundance. Moreover, in control trees, ant activity throughout the year was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of predators (number of predators per mealybug). No parasitoids were recovered during field experiments. Ant exclusion reduced the density of D. aberiae and the ratio of damaged fruit at harvest across years and orchards. Conclusions: This work corroborates the previous finding that D. aberiae benefits from its mutualistic relationship with L. grandis, probably because the presence of ants reduced the abundance of generalist predators. This mutualism can be disrupted using physical barriers on the trunk. Further research should assess other methods of ant control that are more economic and feasible for citrus producers.

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.

The invasive mealybug Delottococcus aberiae De Lotto (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) has become a key pest in Mediterranean citrus. This mealybug species excretes honeydew that can be consumed by ants, which may give rise to mutualistic relationships and increase the invasibility of this exotic pest. Here, we studied the interaction between D. aberiae and ants in 16 citrus orchards located in the main citrus-growing area of Spain (Valencia) during two consecutive years. Four native ant species were observed feeding on D. aberiae honeydew, and Lasius grandis Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) represented more than 95% of these ants. Lasius grandis was observed attending D. aberiae throughout the year and in all the orchard sites where the mealybug was present. Mealybug colony size had a positive effect on both relative and absolute ant-attendance by L. grandis, but these interactions varied across seasons. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between L. grandis activity and D. aberiae density in all citrus orchards. Our results suggest that the native ant L. grandis and the invasive pest D. aberiae have established a mutualistic association that promotes the establishment and accelerate the invasion of D. aberiae in Spanish citrus orchards. Further research with the aim of evaluating whether the management of this ant species can improve the control of D. aberiae in citrus would be recommended.

60th MPU Anniversary Special Section., Xylella fastidiosa is a major transboundary plant pest, causing severe socioeconomic impacts. Development of preventive strategies and methods for surveillance, early detection, monitoring, and accurate diagnosis of X. fastidiosa and its vectors, are keys to preventing the effects of this plant pathogen, and assist timely eradication or optimisation of containment measures. This review focuses on approaches for early detection of X. fastidiosa in the Mediterranean Basin, including development of climatic suitability risk maps to determine areas of potential establishment, and epidemiological models to assist in outbreak management through optimized surveillance and targeted responses. The usefulness of airborne hyperspectral and thermal images from remote sensing to discriminate X. fastidiosa infections from other biotic and abioticinduced spectral signatures is also discussed. The most commonly used methods for identifying X. fastidiosa in infected plants and vectors, and the molecular approaches available to genetically characterize X. fastidiosa strains, are described. Each of these approaches has trade-offs, but stepwise or simultaneous combinations of these methods may help to contain X. fastidiosa epidemics in the Mediterranean Basin., Some of the research presented in this review was funded by the following projects: BeXyl (Beyond Xylella, Integrated Management Strategies for Mitigating Xylella fastidiosa impact in Europe; grant ID 101060593, from European Union’s Horizon Europe ‘Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment’ Programme); XF-ACTORS (Xylella fastidiosa Active Containment Through a Multidisciplinary-Oriented Research Strategy; grant 727987, from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Research Programme); POnTE (Pest Organisms Threatening Europe; grant ID 635646, from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Research Programme); E-RTA2017-00004-C06-02 (Desarrollo de estrategias de erradicación, contención y control de X. fastidiosa en España) from ‘Programa Estatal de I+D+I Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad of the Spanish Government AEI-INIA Spain’ and the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofesional; Project P18-RT-4184 from Junta de Andalucia and the European Regional Development Fund; and the Intramural Project 201840E111 and the Thematic Interdisciplinary Platform on X. fastidiosa (PTI Sol-Xyl) from CSIC.

The analysis by high throughput sequencing (HTS) and RT-PCR of Spanish pomegranate fruits showing yellow rings revealed the presence of viroid isolates closely related to fig isolates of apple dimple fruit viroid (ADFVd). The analysis of pomegranate public RNASeq data (Sequence Reads Archives, SRAs) from Israel provided evidence for the presence of similar ADFVd isolates in pomegranate trees in this country. In addition, reads or contigs of plum viroid I (PVd-I) isolates were also identified in two of the analyzed SRA datasets from Israel, suggesting the presence of this second viroid in pomegranate. Full length ADFVd genomic sequences have been recovered, increasing knowledge on the diversity of this viroid and on the pomegranate virome in which only four viruses and one viroid had previously been reported.

Recent studies have suggested that predatory mirid bugs may be an effective alternative for controlling aphids in sweet pepper greenhouses. This study examined the effect of three constant temperatures (18, 24, and 30 °C) on the life history traits of predatory mirid species Nesidiocoris tenuis, Macrolophus pygmaeus, and Dicyphus bolivari, preying on the aphid Myzus persicae nicotianae in sweet pepper plants. As the temperature increased, the survival rate decreased for M. pygmaeus and D. bolivari, while for N. tenuis, it was the opposite, and their survival increased. When considering all the biological traits studied together, the estimated intrinsic rate of increase (rm) decreased as the temperature increased for M. pygmaeus and D. bolivari. In contrast, the rate increased as the temperature increased for N. tenuis. These results suggest that M. pygmaeus and D. bolivari are better adapted to lower temperatures than N. tenuis, which is more adapted to warm temperatures. The implications of these results for improving the biological control of aphids in sweet pepper greenhouses through the use of mirid bugs are discussed in relation to different temperature regimes.

Altres ajuts: CERCA Program, Generalitat de Catalunya The dynamics of airborne ascospores and disease progress of red leaf blotch (RLB) of almond, caused by Polystigma amygdalinum, and their correlations with weather variables were studied from 2019 to 2021 in two almond orchards located in Lleida, NE Spain. Airborne ascospores were detected and quantified by real-time qPCR using species-specific primers for P. amygdalinum. Ascospores were detected mainly from April to June, with a high variability between the yearly cumulative concentrations. Positive significant correlations were found between the weekly proportion of airborne ascospores and the number of wet and mild days-either combined or separated- accumulated rainfall, number of rainy days, accumulated low temperatures on wet days, and mean and maximum relative humidity. In contrast, several thermal variables (maximum temperature, VPD, and number of warm days) were negatively correlated with ascospore catches. Positive significant correlations were found between the cumulative proportion of ascospores and RLB incidence and severity. Weekly variations in RLB incidence and severity showed significant positive correlations with the number of warm days while negative with the number of mild days. Severity was also positively correlated with several thermal variables (mean, maximum, and minimum temperature, and VPD), and negatively correlated with the number of cold days and wet and mild days. Stronger correlations were generally found with ascospore catches or disease progress when using concurrent weekly weather data. Gompertz, monomolecular, and logistic growth models were evaluated to describe RLB disease progress.

Trioza erytreae (Del Guercio) (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is one of the vectors of the citrus greening or huanglongbing (HLB) disease, the most devastating citrus disease globally. A classical biological control program has been established to control this vector in Europe, where it has been threatening the citrus industry since its detection in mainland Spain and Portugal. For this, its main parasitoid Tamarixia dryi (Waterson) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) has been introduced. Here, we evaluated the nutritional value of T. erytreae honeydew as a suitable food source for T. dryi. This solid honeydew is the most abundant food source for the parasitoid in the field. Our results demonstrated that T. erytreae honeydew enhanced the longevity of T. dryi compared to other diets such as water, ‘sucrose alone’ or ‘sucrose + protein’. Females fed on honeydew also oviposited more eggs than those fed on water or ‘sucrose alone’. Finally, T. dryi fed on honeydew tended to parasitize more psyllids than those fed on the other diets. Chemical analyses demonstrated that T. erytreae honeydew contains proteins, and this can explain the increase in egg load of honeydew fed parasitoids. Further research is necessary to understand why these females tended to parasitize more than females fed on ‘sucrose + protein’. Overall, these results contribute to understanding the successful and rapid establishment of T. dryi in Europe and to the successful rearing and release programs in newly invaded areas.

Competition for hosts is a common ecological interaction in insect parasitoids. In the recent years, it has become increasingly evident that microorganisms can act as ‘hidden players’ in parasitoid ecology. In this review, we propose that parasitoid competition should take into consideration the microbial influence. In particular, we take a tritrophic perspective and discuss how parasitoid competition can be modulated by microorganisms associated with the parasitoids, their herbivore hosts, or the plants attacked by the herbivores. Although research is still in its infancy, recent studies have shown that microbial symbionts can modulate the contest outcome. The emerging pattern is that microorganisms not only affect the competitive traits of parasitoids but also the fighting arena (i.e. the herbivore host and its food plant), in which competition takes place. We have also identified important gaps in the literature that should be addressed in future studies to advance our understanding about parasitoid competition.

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), has invaded most Afro-Eurasian countries and is threatening worldwide tomato production. Various strategies have been developed and implemented to manage this pest. Here, we present a timely review on the up-to-date development and practical implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) programs for tomato crops across different world regions infested by T. absoluta. While insecticide resistance is a growing concern, biological control via releasing or conserving arthropod natural enemies and sex pheromone-based biotechnical control are the most successful management practices. Agronomic control-related research is an emerging area where the soil fertilization and/or irrigation, as well as breeding of resistant cultivars, has the potential to enhance IPM effectiveness. Grower survey responses in the native areas (i.e., South America), early-invaded areas (i.e., first report between 2006 and 2012) and newly invaded areas (i.e., first report after 2012) showed that the control programs evolved along with the areas and time since invasion. Growers in the early-invaded areas shifted more rapidly from chemical control to biological control compared to those from the native area. In all concerned regions, the pest control failure risk following chemical insecticide applications and the high cost associated with either biological or biotechnical control methods have been the greatest concerns for growers. The information gathered from the native and/or early-invaded areas may help achieve a more effective management in newly invaded areas. Lastly, researchers are expected to break the bottlenecks of some key issues that would enable lowering application cost of novel biorational alternative management options.

Valencian citriculture is oriented towards fresh production, which requires fruits with few seeds or seedless fruits. Consequently, parthenocarpic and self-incompatible varieties are mainly cultivated. However, some mandarin varieties, under favorable circumstances, induce seed formation in other mandarins by cross-pollination. This phenomenon depends on the germination capacity of the pollen of the pollinating variety, the number of ovules of the pollinated variety, the distance between them, and the abundance of pollinating insects. Previous studies in Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA) have determined the ability to pollinate and be pollinated by all commercial varieties in Europe. Moreover, the Regional Government, Generalitat Valenciana, has georeferenced information on the cultivated varieties. We present two geostatistical models to estimate the risk of plots to be pollinated, depending on the varieties present in their environment, the number of plants, and their distance. Models are used to generate local and regional cross-pollination risk maps. Moreover, the robustness of these models to changes in the values assigned to their main parameters is assessed using different similarity calculations.

The zoophytophagous mirid Pilophorus clavatus has been recently identified inhabiting citrus orchards in the Mediterranean region, where it feeds on several important citrus pests. In this work, we investigated whether the plant feeding by P. clavatus could induce defensive responses in citrus plants. Here, we show for the first time that the P. clavatus herbivory triggers the accumulation of the stress-related hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) in citrus plants. Moreover, the SA and JA pathways enhanced plant defence mechanisms as the expression of genes encoding enzymes from both biosynthetic and responsive pathways were upregulated in P. clavatus-punctured plants. We also investigated whether the induced defences could affect the plant host selection of Tetranychus urticae and the predatory mites Phytoseilus persimilis and Neouseiulus californicus. Neither T. urticae nor N. californicus preferred the odour source emitted by intact or P. clavatus-punctured plants in a Y-tube olfactometer assay. However, P. persimilis were significantly attracted to P. clavatus-induced plants. The performance of T. urticae was also compared when mites were released on control or previously P. clavatus-induced plants. Compared to the control, the infestation of T. urticae was significantly reduced up to 70% on those citrus plants previously activated by P. clavatus. Our results show for the first time that feeding of P. clavatus on citrus plants can have a dual beneficial effect due to its known predatory action and, at the same time, by inducing the plant’s immune system.

Xylella fastidiosa represents a major threat to important crops worldwide including almond, citrus, grapevine, and olives. Nowadays, there are no efficient control measures for X. fastidiosa, and the use of preventive measures and host resistance represent the most practical disease management strategies. Research on vessel-associated microorganisms is gaining special interest as an innate natural defense of plants to cope against infection by xylem-inhabiting pathogens. The objective of this research has been to characterize, by next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis, the microbial communities residing in the xylem sap of almond trees affected by almond leaf scorch disease (ALSD) in a recent X. fastidiosa outbreak occurring in Alicante province, Spain. We also determined community composition changes and network associations occurring between xylem-inhabiting microbial communities and X. fastidiosa. For that, a total of 91 trees with or without ALSD symptoms were selected from a total of eight representative orchards located in five municipalities within the X. fastidiosa-demarcated area. X. fastidiosa infection in each tree was verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis, with 54% of the trees being tested X. fastidiosa-positive. Globally, Xylella (27.4%), Sphingomonas (13.9%), and Hymenobacter (12.7%) were the most abundant bacterial genera, whereas Diplodia (30.18%), a member of the family Didymellaceae (10.7%), and Aureobasidium (9.9%) were the most predominant fungal taxa. Furthermore, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) of Bray-Curtis and weighted UniFrac distances differentiated almond xylem bacterial communities mainly according to X. fastidiosa infection, in contrast to fungal community structure that was not closely related to the presence of the pathogen. Similar results were obtained when X. fastidiosa reads were removed from the bacterial data set although the effect was less pronounced. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed negative associations among four amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) assigned to X. fastidiosa with different bacterial ASVs belonging to 1174-901-12, Abditibacterium, Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum, Modestobacter, Xylophilus, and a non-identified member of the family Solirubrobacteraceae. Determination of the close-fitting associations between xylem-inhabiting microorganisms and X. fastidiosa may help to reveal specific microbial players associated with the suppression of ALSD under high X. fastidiosa inoculum pressure. These identified microorganisms would be good candidates to be tested in planta, to produce almond plants more resilient to X. fastidiosa infection when inoculated by endotherapy, contributing to suppress ALSD., This research was funded by projects AGL2016-75606-R and PID2020-114917RB-I00 (Programa Estatal de I+D Orientado a los Retos de la Sociedad from Spanish Government, the Spanish State Research Agency and FEDER-EU), XF-ACTORS (X. fastidiosa Active Containment Through a Multidisciplinary Oriented Research Strategy; grant 727987) and EcoStack (Grant Agreement No. 773554) from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Research Program. AA-Y acknowledges the STM program granted by the COST Action CA16107 EuroXanth, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). Financial support of CYTED network Iber-Xyfas (Ref. 119RT0569) is acknowledged. MA-M is a recipient of a research fellowship BES-2017-082361 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and CH is a recipient of a Juan de la Cierva fellowship “Grant IJC2019-040423-I” from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.

En los cultivos agrícolas las plantas se enfrentan a innumerables agresiones externas, entre las cuales, una de las más importantes son el ataque de artrópodos plaga. Las plantas responden a estas agresiones activando mecanismos de defensa que les hace por lo general ser más resistentes. Estas respuestas defensivas frente a un determinado artrópodo plaga puede aumentar o limitar el ataque de un nuevo ataque por individuos de la misma especie o de otra especie distinta. En este trabajo, se muestran dos ejemplos de cómo la secuencia en que dos artrópodos plaga, la araña roja Tetranychus urticae y la mosca blanca Bemisia tabaci atacan dos cultivos de gran importancia como son la berenjena y el tomate, puede modular su comportamiento como plaga. El conocimiento de este tipo de interacciones herbívoro-herbívoro puede dar explicación a lo que ocurre en condiciones de campo, e incluso servir de base para el desarrollo de nuevas estrategias de control de plagas.

El haba (Vicia faba var. major) es un cultivo tradicional muy arraigado en las huertas alicantinas, siendo su destino principal la producción para el mercado de consumo en fresco. El material vegetal que se suele emplear procede mayoritariamente de selecciones de los propios agricultores, aunque algunas empresas productoras de semillas comercializan sus propias selecciones. En el año 2008 desarrollamos trabajos previos que mostraron un mejor comportamiento productivo por parte del material propagado por los agricultores de la zona comparado con el de varias empresas. El objetivo principal de este trabajo fue seleccionar semillas autóctonas que pudieran entrar a formar parte del «Catálogo de Variedades Locales de Interés Agrario Valenciano». Hemos estudiado 6 cultivares de ciclo temprano, tipo “Cuarentena” y 6 de ciclo intermedio, tipo “Muchamiel”, durante dos campañas consecutivas. El diseño estadístico fue de bloques al azar con 3 repeticiones por tratamiento. Se llevó a cabo el control de las producciones y varios calibrados de las vainas. Realizado el análisis estadístico de los resultados, no aparecieron diferencias significativas (al 95 %) entre la producción comercial de los distintos cultivares, excepto en el segundo ciclo de “Muchamiel”. Sí que se encontraron diferencias en cuanto a precocidad y tamaño de las vainas. A la vista de estos datos, seleccionamos el cv tipo “Cuarentena” codificado como C1 y el cv. tipo “Muchamiel” codificado como M2, procedente, ambos provenientes de agricultores de Elche. Estas selecciones pasaran a formar parte de la colección del «Catálogo de Variedades Locales de Interés Agrario Valenciano», multiplicándose en cultivo ecológico para su puesta a disposición de los agricultores interesados en su cultivo.

Se estudió la actividad antifúngica de recubrimientos comestibles (RCs) a base de pectina de cítricos, con la incorporación de extractos naturales y aceites esenciales (AE) como ingredientes antifúngicos contra Penicillium digitatum (PD), hongo causante de la podredumbre verde en cítricos. En ensayos in vitro se observó que los AEs de Satureja montana, canela (CN) y mirra (MY), el eugenol (EU), el geraniol (GE) y los extractos de vainillina y propóleo fueron los más efectivos, con inhibiciones del crecimiento micelial del hongo entre 90-100%. Las sustancias y concentraciones más efectivas (0,2-2%) se incorporaron al RC de pectina y se evaluó la actividad curativa en naranjas ‘Valencia Late’ inoculadas artificialmente e incubadas durante 8 días a 20 ºC. Posteriormente, con los mejores RCs, se evaluó la actividad curativa y la calidad fisicoquímica y sensorial de las naranjas durante 8 semanas de almacenamiento a 5 ºC más una semana a 20 ºC. Después de 8 días de incubación a 20 ºC, los RCs que contenían 0,2% GE, 0,8% EU o 1,5% MY redujeron la incidencia de la podredumbre verde un 40-60%. En condiciones de frigoconservación, los RCs con 0,2% GE y 0,8% EU redujeron la incidencia de la enfermedad en más del 50%; siendo el RC de EU el más efectivo reduciendo la pérdida de peso y proporcionando el mayor brillo. Por tanto, este RC presenta un alto potencial para reducir las pérdidas de poscosecha de los cítricos.

Superovulation treatments aim to stimulate multifollicular recruitment, maximizing the number of oocytes or transferable embryos produced. Factors associated with the superovulation protocol, female characteristics and many other factors are determinants in the number and quality of oocytes obtained. An accurate way to assess oocyte quality more precise than morphological appearance is genetic expression. The present study aims to compare the response of nulliparous and multiparous females to superovulatory stimulation, studying its effect on the expression of some genes associated with the activation, growth, development and oocyte-embryo transition of oocytes, as well as its impact on in vivo embryonic development and viability rate at birth. In a first experiment, the effect of stimulation treatment on the ovulation response and the expression of the MSY2, MATER, ITPR1, ITPR2, ITPR3, eIF4E, PAR1, PAPOL-A, PAPOL-G, ZAR1 and YY1 genes in nulliparous and multiparous females were determined. In a second experiment, the implantation and viability at birth of embryos from superovulated nulliparous and multiparous females were analysed. The ovulation rate was significantly higher in the superovulation groups than in the control groups. The ovulation rate was significantly increased in nulliparous females compared with multiparous does. From the eleven genes analysed, only the expression of MATER, PAPOL-A, PAPOL-G and ZAR-1 genes was shown to be different among experimental groups. Finally, in terms of implantation rate and viability at birth, the nulliparous control group showed better results than the rest of the groups. Both hyperstimulation treatment and reproductive female's history seem to alter the transcriptome of important genes related to oocyte maturation and competence acquisition, affecting in vivo embryo viability.

Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) es una bacteria patógena que habita en el xilema de la planta hospedadora y el tracto digestivo de insectos que actúan como vectores. Afecta a un elevado número de especies vegetales, siendo una de las principales bacterias de cuarentena en la Unión Europea. Puesto que actualmente no existen medidas terapéuticas eficaces y los antibióticos están prohibidos en Europa, el control de Xf se basa principalmente en la erradicación de las plantas infectadas y el uso de compuestos químicos contra los vectores, pero estas medidas no son suficientes.

La erosión genética provocada en los cultivos al priorizar la producción sobre la calidad ha generado una pérdida de biodiversidad agraria, que compromete la seguridad alimentaria global. En cuanto a la berenjena, existe poca variabilidad morfológica entre las variedades comercializadas, por lo que es necesario contar con una fuente que ayude a incrementar su diversidad como son las variedades tradicionales. Con el objetivo de aprovechar todo su potencial, y además contribuir a su conservación, se requiere una descripción detallada de las características agronómicas, fenotípicas y de calidad nutricional. En relación a estos enunciados, este trabajo elabora una caracterización de 15 variedades autóctonas de berenjena valenciana conservadas en el Instituto de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrobiodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV) y del Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA). Se utilizaron 22 descriptores fenotípicos convencionales cuantitativos y 14 cualitativos de la planta, tallo, hojas, flores y frutos. Las variedades locales se diferenciaron principalmente en función del color y morfología del fruto, obteniéndose 3 grupos diferenciados: de la pulpa del fruto de piel morada (G1), rayada (G2) y blanca (G3). Seguidamente, se eligieron las variedades locales B14, B17 y B16 como representativas de cada uno de los tres grupos, para analizar la calidad nutricional (fenoles, ácido ascórbico, flavonoides, carotenoides, azúcares) de la pulpa del fruto y así proporcionar información verificada sobre su valor añadido. Aparecieron diferencias significativas entre estas tres variedades locales, destacando la B14 (morada) por sus propiedades antioxidantes, seguida de la B17 (rayada) por su alto contenido en vitamina C. La B16 (blanca) es similar a B17 en la mayoría de los parámetros de calidad, además presenta el atractivo para el consumidor de su color blanco. La información aquí reportada indica la amplia variabilidad existente entre las berenjenas, lo que refuerza la importancia de las variedades tradicionales como la principal fuente de biodiversidad agrícola en la actualidad.

Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) es un depredador zoofitófago ampliamente utilizado en programas de control biológico en el cultivo de tomate en el sureste español. Debido a su amplia polifagia, este mírido permite un control eficaz de plagas clave, como Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) o Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Sin embargo, debido a su comportamiento fitófago, N. tenuis puede dañar gravemente las plantas de tomate cuando el nivel de presas es escaso.

Uno de los problemas más graves de los cítricos son las infecciones fúngicas, que se propagan con rapidez durante los periodos de almacenamiento y transporte causando cuantiosas pérdidas económicas en poscosecha. Uno de los hongos que más afectan a estas frutas es Penicillium digitatum, que infecta el fruto exclusivamente a través de heridas en la piel y provoca una podredumbre blanda cuyo aspecto puede pasar desapercibido al ojo humano en una línea de confección, ya que en sus etapas iniciales apenas cambia el color de la fruta. Uno de los métodos empleados para detectar esta enfermedad es iluminar las frutas con luz ultravioleta (UV), ya que la enfermedad causa una fluorescencia detectable por personal entrenado.

El control de plagas en agricultura se basa mayoritariamente en el uso de insecticidas que pueden producir efectos nocivos en insectos beneficiosos. En varios estudios recientes, se ha demostrado que la melaza excretada por los hemípteros que se alimentan de plantas tratadas con insecticidas sistémicos puede contaminarse con dichos insecticidas, y resultar tóxica para los insectos beneficiosos que se alimentan de ella. Esta ruta de exposición ha sido demostrada para tres especies de plantas distintas, cinco insecticidas sistémicos y cuatro especies de hemípteros, por lo que puede ser una ruta de exposición muy común en diferentes agroecosistemas donde el néctar es un recurso escaso y la melaza es la principal fuente de alimentación para los insectos beneficiosos.

Nowadays the cultivation and consumption of traditional lettuce varieties are growing as they are particularly appealing to consumers for their diversity, and high nutraceutical quality. However, lettuce is a highly perishable product, which results in significant nutritional loss from harvest to final consumers. In this work, the content of some bioactive compounds (chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, phenols), overall antioxidant capacity and mineral content was monitored in five landraces and four commercial lettuce varieties to compare their variation during the storage period. Visual characterization was conducted during the postharvest period, as was the determination of the parameters indicative of oxidative stress, to establish the preservation capacity of their physico-chemical attributes. As a general trend, lettuce varieties showed individualized behavior during the postharvest period, which was not necessarily better in the commercial varieties compared to the landraces. Of all the varieties, landrace L10 stood out for not showing excessive variations in its general appearance or nutritional quality throughout its life cycle. However, in terms of initial concentration of bioactive compounds, the reddest varieties (CL4 and L11) stand out. These results indicate variability among varieties, which emphasizes the potential of lettuce landraces in postharvest practices.

El piojo rojo de California (Aonidiella aurantii) es una de las principales plagas de cítricos. Para controlarla se suelen realizar aplicaciones fitosanitarias con volúmenes de caldo elevados. El IVIA ha desarrollado CitrusVol, una herramienta para hacer un uso sostenible de los fitosanitarios que recomienda un volumen de caldo óptimo, en función de la vegetación, la plaga o enfermedad y la materia activa. El objetivo del presente estudio fue validar CitrusVol para el control de A. aurantii y demostrar las ventajas ambientales y económicas en comparación con las aplicaciones convencionales. Para ello, se realizaron un total de 18 aplicaciones en 7 parcelas de clementinos durante dos años. Se evaluó la distribución de caldo en la copa, estimando el porcentaje de recubrimiento en diferentes zonas de la vegetación, y la eficacia de control, a través del número de escudos de piojo por fruto previo a la cosecha. Los resultados mostraron que el empleo de CitrusVol dio lugar a una reducción de volumen de caldo del 35% en promedio, manteniendo la eficacia de control de la plaga. Por lo tanto, su uso redujo el uso de fitosanitarios en el mismo porcentaje, y además permitió un ahorro de tiempo de la operación y del consumo de combustible, por la reducción del número de recargas del tanque, y a su vez, un descenso de la emisión de fitosanitarios y de CO2 .

En este estudio se evalúa la respuesta de naranjas “Lane Late" en diferentes estados de madurez a un tratamiento cuarentenario simple (15 días a 1ºC) y a una cuarentena doble (30 días a 1ºC), simulando en ambos casos un periodo de comercialización posterior de 6 días a 20ºC. Para ello, se evaluaron no sólo los principales cambios fisicoquímicos y la incidencia de daños en la piel, sino también los cambios en la calidad organoléptica percibida por los consumidores, así como su aceptación e intención de compra. Los resultados muestran que la percepción de calidad se ve más afectada por el estado de madurez que por los cambios experimentados durante el tratamiento cuarentenario, revelándose el estado de madurez como un factor clave en la respuesta del fruto a este tratamiento tanto a nivel de calidad externa como interna. Durante el tratamiento cuarentenario los consumidores percibieron más cambios sensoriales en la fruta recolectada con un menor índice de madurez (IM=9.5) que en las partidas con mayor índice (IM>13.5), detectándose un descenso de acidez y de firmeza con el avance de la frigoconservación. Estos cambios no fueron tan drásticos como para afectar a la valoración global que el consumidor dio al fruto en el momento de comerlo. Sin embargo, sí resultaron en un ligero descenso de la intención de compra tras la doble cuarentena. Los daños manifestados en la piel durante la cuarentena también fueron más acusados en la fruta con menor índice de madurez. Estos daños fueron principalmente ligeros y muy ligeros, no afectando negativamente a la percepción de frescura del consumidor tras la cuarentena simple. Sin embargo, un aumento de la incidencia tras la doble cuarentena afectó ligeramente a la percepción de frescura y a las valoraciones otorgadas al aspecto del fruto.

Las pérdidas de fruta fresca en poscosecha son causadas principalmente por pérdida de peso, alteraciones fisiológicas y podredumbres causadas por hongos filamentosos. Actualmente, estas pérdidas se reducen mediante conservación frigorífica y tratamientos poscosecha con fungicidas químicos convencionales y/o ceras sintéticas. Sin embargo, el uso continuado de tratamientos químicos conlleva importantes problemas como son la generación de residuos químicos y su presencia en la fruta, con los consiguientes riesgos para el consumidor, y la proliferación de cepas fúngicas patogénicas resistentes. Por tanto, deben implementarse comercialmente tratamientos alternativos sostenibles y seguros como parte de estrategias de control integrado no contaminante de enfermedades de poscosecha (CINCEP).

El Psílido de los cítricos Diaphorina citri kuwayama (Hemiptera: liviidae) es el vector más importante de la bacteria asociada a la enfermedad más grave y destructiva de la citricultura mundial, el Huanglongbing o HLB. En julio de 2021, D. citri se detectó en la región de Emek Jefer (Israel) en una zona donde existen muchas plantaciones de cítricos. La llegada de este Psílido a la cuenca mediterránea, junto con la expansión del otro vector del HLB Trioza erytreae (Del Guercio) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), ya presente en la España peninsular desde 2014, supone la mayor amenaza para la citricultura mediterránea, por tratarse de una enfermedad incurable que podría causar daños catastróficos en los cítricos españoles. En particular, la detección de D. citri en el Mediterráneo hace vislumbra un escenario futuro nada alentador. El potencial biótico de D. citri es mucho mayor que T. erytreae y es, además, capaz de multiplicarse rápidamente sobre las principales variedades y especies de cítricos cultivadas en el Mediterráneo. Por todo ello, es de vital importancia impedir la llegada de D. citri a nuestro territorio y, con el fin de evitar su propagación y conseguir su erradicación, permanecer alerta para actuar con rapidez y eficacia en caso de detección.

Recubrimientos comestibles compuestos a base de goma arábiga (AG), hidroxipropilmetilcelulosa (HPMC) o almidón de patata (S) en combinación con cera de abeja (BW), gliceril monoestearato (GME) o cera de carnauba (CW) fueron formulados con dos aditivos alimentarios o sales GRAS (‘generally recognized as safe’) con propiedades antifúngicas: benzoato de sodio (SB, 2% p/p) o sorbato de potasio (PS, 2% p/p). Los efectos de los recubrimientos sobre la calidad de mandarinas ‘Orri’ se evaluaron tras un almacenamiento a 20 ºC de 14 días. Posteriormente, se evaluó la actividad curativa de los recubrimientos seleccionados en el control de las podredumbres verde y azul, causadas respectivamente por Penicillium digitatum y P. italicum, en mandarinas inoculadas artificialmente 24 h antes e incubadas a 20 ºC durante 7 días. Las emulsiones a base de AG con BW y CW mostraron valores bajos de viscosidad (4,54-26,34 mPa·s), pero aumentaron la pérdida de peso (WL) de las mandarinas. Las formulaciones a base de HPMC-BW y HPMC-CW fueron estables, con valores de viscosidad de 18 mPa·s, pero aportaron poco brillo. El recubrimiento a base de S-GME, con viscosidad de 58,91 mPa·s, redujo significativamente la WL sin afectar negativamente la apariencia de la fruta. La adición de PS a los recubrimientos aumentó significativamente la WL del fruto. El recubrimiento S-GME con 2% SB fue el más efectivo para controlar las podredumbres causadas por Penicillium spp. y redujo la incidencia y la severidad de las enfermedades en un 40 y 35%, respectivamente. Además, redujo también la WL de las mandarinas durante el almacenamiento a 20 ºC, lo que demuestra su potencial para la conservación de la mandarina ‘Orri’ en poscosecha.

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.

Desde el año 2007, la Técnica del Insecto Estéril (TIE) es el principal medio de lucha del Plan de Acción de la Conselleria de Agricultura contra la mosca mediterránea de la fruta Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) en la Comunitat Valenciana. Esta técnica consiste en la cría masiva de insectos macho de la misma especie a combatir que, tras ser esterilizados, se liberan al campo en grandes cantidades para que copulen con las hembras silvestres, siendo los huevos puestos por éstas infértiles.

El virus del mosaico de la sandía (watermelon mosaic virus, WMV) produce graves daños en varios cultivos de cucurbitáceas en todo el mundo. El control de enfermedades se basa en restringir la propagación del virus y en la obtención de variedades resistentes por mejora genética. Para poder aplicar estas estrategias de control es necesario disponer de herramientas para la detección sensible y la cuantificación precisa de WMV en plantas infectadas. En este trabajo, se desarrolló un procedimiento basado en la retrotranscripción seguida de una PCR a tiempo real con un par de iniciadores y una sonda TaqMan® específicos de WMV.

The East-Asian aphid Tinocallis (Tinocallis) zelkowae is recorded for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula on Zelkova serrata (Ulmaceae) in the Viveros Gardens of the city of Valencia (Spain). This is the second record of the species in Europe, after being cited on a Japanese zelkova bonsai in England in 1974. Alate viviparous females and sexuales (winged males and apterous oviparae) are here described, and we present the molecular sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I, which allows comparison with the recently described T. (T.) latifoliae on in Zelkova serrata var. latifolia. It is the fifth species of Tinocallis genus that is known in territories of Iberian Peninsula, three of which are also native to Southeast Asia., Alice Casiraghi benefited from an Erasmus+ scholarship during the year 2018-2019, to do her Master thesis at the University of Valencia. Work accomplished in the context of Project CGL2015-68188-P, funded by “Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad” of Spain (MIMECO).

Spain is the second persimmon producing and main exporting country in the world, and ‘Rojo Brillante’ is the most important cultivar. Nowadays, the main interest of the Spanish persimmon industry is to extend the marketing period to reach off-season markets and technologies such as 1-methylcyclopropene in combination with cold storage are being used to reduce chilling injury and maintain fruit firmness. However, ‘Rojo Brillante’ persimmon is quite susceptible to postharvest Alternaria black spot, caused by Alternaria alternata.

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides es el agente causal de la antracnosis de los cítricos. Este trabajo evaluó la eficacia antifúngica in vitro (reducción del crecimiento miceliar en medio PDA) de varias sustancias GRAS (‘generally recognized as safe’), a diferentes concentraciones, contra este patógeno. Los mejores resultados se obtuvieron con metilparabeno sódico (0,1%), etilparabeno sódico (0,1%) y bicarbonato amónico (2%). Posteriormente, sales seleccionadas se utilizaron como ingredientes antifúngicos de recubrimientos comestibles formulados con hidroxipropilmetilcelulosa (HPMC) y cera de abeja (BW). Estos recubrimientos se aplicaron en ensayos curativos in vivo a mandarinas ‘Nadorcott’ y naranjas ‘Valencia Late’ inoculadas artificialmente con C. gloeosporioides 24 h antes y se obtuvieron reducciones de la severidad de la enfermedad respecto al control del 50- 70% en el caso de las mandarinas y del 10-35% en el de las naranjas. Los recubrimientos HPMC-BW con sorbato potásico (2%), benzoato sódico (2%) y silicato potásico (2%) fueron los más efectivos para controlar la enfermedad. Estos recubrimientos se seleccionaron para estudiar su efecto sobre naranjas ‘Valencia Late’ no inoculadas y frigoconservadas. Tras 56 días a 5ºC y 90% HR, seguidos de 7 días de simulación de vida comercial a 20ºC, se observó que los recubrimientos no redujeron de forma importante la pérdida de peso de las naranjas e incluso en el caso de los formulados con sorbato potásico la incrementaron, debido posiblemente a cambios en la permeabilidad de la cutícula. Por otro lado, los recubrimientos modificaron la atmósfera interna del fruto, pero estos cambios no afectaron negativamente a la calidad físico-química y sensorial de la fruta.

Citrus is the most cultivated fruit crop worldwide. The modern citrus industry needs new bioproducts to overcome phytopathological threats, tolerate stresses and increase yield and quality. Mutualistic microbes from roots significantly impact host physiology and health and are a potentially beneficial resource. The bacterial microbiome can be surveyed to select potentially host-beneficial microbes. To achieve this goal, a prevalent “core-citrus” bacterial microbiome was obtained by picking those operational taxonomic units (OTUs) shared among samples within and across two Citrus rootstock genotypes grown in the same soil for more than 20 years. A sub-selection of main OTUs from the defined “core-citrus” microbiome was made based on abundance, host-enriched versus bulk soil, and rhizosphere-indicator species. In parallel, an extensive census of the cultivable microbiota was performed to collect a large number of bacterial citrus isolates. Metataxonomic data were linked to cultured microbes, matching 16S rRNA gene sequences from bacterial isolates with those counterpart OTU reference sequences from the selected bacterial “core-citrus” microbiome. This approach allowed selection of potentially host-beneficial bacteria to mine for agricultural probiotics in future biotechnological applications required for the citrus industry., We thank all those undergraduate students, especially the pioneer Laura Camacho, for their contribution to the large bacterial isolation, and to Felix Morán for technical support in the bacterial sequences analysis. This work was supported by grants RTA2015–00087-C2–01, AGL2017–91803-EXP and RTI2018–098379-R-I00 from Spanish Agency of Science (AEI, Spain) and co-funded by the European Social Fund to E. Marco-Noales, R. Penyalver and M.A. Forner-Giner, respectively. Part of this work was also conducted during a visiting stay of R. Penyalver at the Universidade Federal do Pampa (Unipampa), Sao Gabriel, RS. Brazil funded by the “Programa Movilidad” from AEI (Spain) PRX15/00253. We especially thank Antonio de Vicente and Carlos Pedrós-Alió for support and suggestions; and Alice Mockford and Ansley Scudder Evans for English editing.

Sharka is the most damaging viral disease ofPrunusspp. and the causative agent is plum pox virus (PPV). PPV is widespread and poses a serious problem in stone fruit crops in Turkey. A unique strain of PPV has so far been identified in Turkey and called as PPV-Turkey (PPV-T). The aims of the present study were to describe the efficiency of PPV-T transmission via aphids and to identify the susceptibility of differentPrunusrootstocks against PPV-T strain under natural inoculum in Kayseri province located Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. This experiment was established in a small residential orchard where PPV-T infected apricot and plum trees were detected. Five differentPrunusrootstocks from which 200 individuals were planted in PPV-T infected orchard and experiment was designed in a randomized complete block desing with 10 replications per block. All rootstocks were regularly tested by DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR during 2015–2017. The results showed that the most susceptible rootstocks in terms of PPV-T infection were Nemaguard, Myrobalan 29B and Myrobalan 29C with the infection rate of 3.61%, 2.74% and 1.04%, respectively. On the other hand, GF677 and Garnem were never found infected with PPV-T.Aphis gossypii,A. craccivora,A. spiraecola,Brachycaudus helichrysi,Hyalopterus pruni,Myzus persicae,Macrosiphum euphorbiaewere detected as most abundant aphid species in experimental plot. In 2015, the highest percentage of viruliferous aphids was found asA. gossypii(100%), followed byB. helichrysi(77.8%),A. spiraecola(55.72%),M. persicae(46.05%) andH. pruni(30.76%) whereas it was 100% forA. gossypiiandM. euphorbiaefollowed byA. spiraecola(76.32%),M. persicae(73.1%),H. pruni(62.06%) andB. helichrysi(61.53%) in 2016 by squash real time RT-PCR. The present study showed that PPV-T was effectively transmitted by different aphid species in natural conditions in Kayseri district. It was concluded that Nemaguard and Myrobalan which were found to be the most sensitive rootstocks to PPV-T should not be preferred by growers asPrunusrootstock where PPV poses a high risk.

La gestión del suelo puede afectar tanto cualitativa como cuantitativamente a los agentes de control biológico que alberga. Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), que pasa parte de su ciclo en el suelo, es susceptible a estos organismos y, por ello, a la gestión que se realice del suelo. En este trabajo se comparó el efecto de tres tipos distintos de gestión del suelo (desnudo, acolchado con paja y cubierta vegetal de Festuca arundinacea) en condiciones de semicampo sobre la supervivencia de larvas de último estadío de C. capitata hasta su emergencia como adultos. Para determinar la mortalidad de las larvas, se expusieron con frecuencia mensual grupos de 100 larvas centinela desarrollándose en condiciones de campo en trampas de emergencia.

Wintertime in subtropical areas such as the Mediterranean citrus growing regions has always been considered a critical period for natural enemies. During winter, the major part of citrus pests are not present, and furthermore, citrus trees do not offer any nutritional sustenance for natural enemies. Under this situation, natural enemies either, abandon citrus orchards or suffer severe undernourishment, letting citrus orchards unprotected in early spring, a key period due to the arrival of many citrus pests. Cover crops can offer food resources and shelter to natural enemies and, through well-managed, may represent a sustainable tool to avoid this undesirable biocontrol imbalance.

A symptomatic cantaloupe melon plant (Cucumis melo L.) encoded MVU2/21 grown in a garden in Velke Ulany (western Slovakia), showing pronounced chlorotic leaf spots and dwarfed growth was analysed by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Total RNAs were isolated from apical leaves collected in August 2021. HTS was carried out on an Illumina MiSeq platform and obtained high-quality reads (∼26,4 millions, average length 131 nt) were analyzed using CLC Genomics Workbench v.10.1.1 and Geneious v.2020.2.5. BLASTn analysis of ca. 24,400 generated contigs revealed a complex viral infection involving watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) and Cucumis melo endornavirus (CmEV, family Endornaviridae). A 15,075 nt de novo assembled contig (OL957252) corresponded to nearly complete CmEV genome with 97.9% nucleotide identity to NC_029064. Typical genome organisation and CmEV motifs, including three glucosyltransferases (Sabanadzovic et al. 2016), were found in MVU2/21 polyprotein. The MVU2/21 total RNAs were subsequently subjected to RT-PCR using primers reported by Zeng et al. (2020) as well as two newly designed primer pairs: CmE_14443F (5´-TATGCGGTTGACTGGACAGG-3´)/CmE_14931R (5´-TTATGAGCCACAGCGGTCAC-3´) and CmEV_4145F (5´-CTTGCCTTGAAGGTAGATCG-3´)/ CmEV_4634R (5´-GATTGTCCGCACCGTATAAC-3´). Sanger sequencing of the specific 489, 490 and 710 bp PCR products unambiguously confirmed the HTS data. In order to analyse the potential presence of CmEV in Slovakia, additional leaf samples from melons, cucumbers and squashes from four different localities were tested by RT-PCR using the above primers. Five out of 40 samples collected from different locations and hosts, i.e. melon (MVU1/21), cucumber (UVU1/21, UVU2/21), squash (TPE 2/21) and patison (CPTV6) tested positive for CmEV. Partial genomic sequences of all Slovak isolates amplified using CmEV_4145F/4634R primers (OL957253-OL957257) shared high nucleotide identity to MVU2/21 (97.2–100%). CmEV was previously reported outside Europe (Sabanadzovic et al. 2016; da Costa et al. 2019; Zeng et al. 2020). Our work thus extents data on CmEV geographical distribution and host range.

El trips de la orquídea Chaetanaphothrips orchidii (Moulton) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) es uno de los trips más dañinos en los cítricos españoles. Los daños producidos por C. orchidii fueron detectados por primera vez en España en el otoño de 2016. Desde 2019, se ha estudiado la biología, ecología y enemigos naturales de este trips para mejorar su gestión integrada en cítricos.

Pectin-beeswax edible coatings containing essential oils (EOs) and plant extracts as antifungal ingredients have been developed to reduce postharvest losses in ‘Valencia’ oranges. After in vitro evaluation of the antifungal activity of the ingredients against Penicillium digitatum, selected agents and concentrations (0.2-2%, w/w) were incorporated into the coating. The curative activity of antifungal edible coatings (AECs) to control green mold was tested on artificially inoculated oranges incubated 8 days at 20°C.

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 diversidad microbiana de las plantas es un factor clave para prevenir la emergencia y dispersión de enfermedades, ya que los microorganismos que las habitan son una fuente de potenciales agentes de biocontrol. Su utilización se considera una estrategia efectiva y ecosostenible, alternativa al empleo de agroquímicos y antibióticos, dada la carencia de métodos eficaces de control. Hemos llevado a cabo una búsqueda y selección de antagonistas bacterianos con actividad frente a la bacteria Erwinia amylovora, agente causal del fuego bacteriano de las rosáceas, considerada un organismo de cuarentena en la Unión Europea y que es capaz de poner en jaque cultivos estratégicos como peral, manzano o níspero, así como dificultar la comercialización de algunas especies ornamentales, Se seleccionaron bacterias, aisladas de diferentes tejidos vegetales y orígenes geográficos, con una clara actividad antagonista ín vitro frente a E. amylovora y con capacidad para reducir los síntomasde la enfermedad en ensayos ex vivo. Los aislados se identificaron como pertenecientes a los géneros Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Curtobacterium, Rosenbergiella y Serratia. Estos resultados, parte de los cuales se ha publicado recientemente en una revista científica internacional, ponen de relieve el papel de la microbiota asociada a la planta, aún poco explorada, en el control biológico de las enfermedades vegetales.

Actualmente, Pseudococcus longispinus Targioni-Tozzetti (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) es la plaga que más pérdidas económicas genera en el cultivo del caqui en España. Los parasitoides juegan un papel clave en la regulación de las densidades poblaciones de los pseudocóccidos. Sin embargo, en el caso de P. longispinus se desconoce el complejo de parasitoides que lo atacan en el cultivo del caqui. En este trabajo se ha estudiado el complejo de parasitoides de P. longispinus en parcelas de caqui de la Comunidad Valenciana, la principal zona de producción en la cuenca Mediterránea.

En una de las líneas de Félix Morán y Ester Marco-Noales. investigación del equipo de Centro de Protección Vegetal y Biotecnología, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Valencia, España. Bacteriología del IVIA, y enmarcado dentro del proyecto LIFE Vida For Citrus en el que participan, se está llevando a cabo el diseño y desarrollo de una nueva herramienta de detección molecular, basada en la amplificación isotérmica de ADN mediante el uso de enzimas de recombinación y polimerización, con el objetivo de que pueda llegar a ser un kit de diagnóstico rápido in situ de las tres bacterias asociadas al Huanglongbing.