Phytosanitary rules for grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) propagation material introduction into EU for germplasm conservation and scientific purposes

Annex

Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte: What Has Been Done and What Will Be Done in Italy?

The western corn rootworm (WCR) Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is considered a threat in Italian maize cropping systems due to the biological characteristics and the climatic and agronomic conditions favouring its development and establishment. This project describes the measures implemented since 1995 to monitor the potential introduction of WCR into Italy and to prevent the spread from nearby Serbia. The most effective measure was the monitoring program which used sex pheromone traps, produced by the Plant Protection Institute of Budapest in sensitive areas (maize fields near airports, customs areas, tourist facilities, etc.) in Northeastern Italy. This activity allowed for identification of newly and  accidentally introduced specimens near the International Airport in Venice in 1998. All strategies, restrictions and obligations, which were im­ple­mented in Italy, in order to eradicate or at least to delay Diabrotica WCR dispersal, are discussed

Biological and Agronomical Strategies for Controlling Skin-pitting of Kiwifruit

Skin-pitting of kiwifruit is a post-harvest disease caused by Cadophora luteo-olivacea. Inoculation occurs in the field but symptoms appear after about three months of cold storage. Incidence of the pathology is very variable over time but it can be quite high causing considerable damage. The aim of this study was to search for biological and agronomical control measures, which can reduce skin-pitting. For biological control, isolates of potential antagonists were made from the surface of stored kiwifruit sourced from fruit produced in two different orchards: one with high and the other with low incidence of disease. Five and nine different microorganisms were obtained from fruit of the first and second orchard, respectively. Isolated microorganisms were inoculated on PDA plates together with C. luteo-olivacea. The majority of the isolates did not influence pathogen growth, except for two strains very closely related to Pseudomonas libanensis (P. fluorescens subgroup), isolated from fruit from the orchard with low incidence of symptoms. The bacteria were tested in vitro against five isolates of each of the two most frequent strains of C. luteo-olivacea (A and B); all were significantly inhibited in growth, presenting a compact, mucous and orange-brown mycelium. The strong antagonistic activity of the two P. libanensis strains represented a promising result for further studies. For agronomical control, it is known that light has a positive effect on calcium accumulation in fruits and that a low calcium content contributes towards creating favourable conditions for pathogen development. In 2009, heavy summer pruning and calcium chloride treatments were practiced in three different orchards, to verify whether a higher light availability and an increase of the calcium content would have a positive effect on reducing disease incidence. Skin-pitting incidence was monitored during storage