First record of powdery scab caused by Spongospora subterranea subsp. subterranea on potato in Malta

Disease note describing the first recording of powdery scab on potatoes in Malta.peer-reviewe

Fungal and fungal-like plant pathogens of the Maltese Islands

The paper provides updated lists of plant pathogenic species belonging to the kingdoms Protozoa, Chromista and Fungi (one, 21, and 211 species entries, respectively) recorded in Malta. It is intended primarily for the use of plant pathologists and authorities involved in plant protection and quarantine issues. It is based on published papers and unpublished reports of several authors and on our original data. The latter were based on inspections in the field and at the Maltese fruit and vegetable market, on surveys requested by EC and on samples brought by farmers at the Għammieri, Marsa, laboratories of the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment (MRAE). They include records or more than 30 species new for Malta and several new host and new location records. Major diseases observed during 2004-2006 include Verticillium wilt of olive, late blight of potato and tomato, powdery mildew on several hosts, crown and root rot (Forl) of tomato, Sclerotinia stem rot of vegetables, grey mould of several crops, leaf mould of tomato. Most of the pathogenic species reported at the beginning of the last century are still present. Several species, including Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea, Colletotrichum acutatum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, probably have been introduced recently. Intensified plant trade, due to world trends and the accession of Malta into the EU, increases this risk and requires consolidating the national quarantine service and extending monitoring of the territory. The incidence and severity of some diseases could be traced back to inappropriate cultural practices or unsuitable seed or plant material. MRAE and private organisations have a key role to play in improving this situationpeer-reviewe

First record of downy mildew caused by Peronospora sp. on basil in Malta

Disease note describing the first record of downy mildew caused by Peronospora sp. on basil plants in Malta.peer-reviewe

First record of Fusarium oxysporum F.SP. radicis-lycopersici in Malta

Disease note describing the first record of Fusarium oxysporum F.SP. radicis-lycopersici on tomatoes in Maltapeer-reviewe

First record of Colletotrichum coccodes on potato in Malta

Disease note describing the first record of Colletotrichum coccodes on potato in Malta.peer-reviewe

First record of Colletotrichum acutatum on strawberry in Malta

Disease note describing the first record of Colletotrichum acutatum on strawberries in Malta.peer-reviewe

First record of Verticillium dahliae on olive in Malta

Disease note describing the first record of Verticillium dahliae on olive in Maltapeer-reviewe

A severe outbreak of crown and root rot of tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici in Malta

A severe outbreak of crown and root rot of tomato was observed in greenhouses in Malta in eight locations during the period November 2004 – February 2005. Besides root and crown symptoms, several plants showed cankers at the basal part of the stem. Fusarium oxysporum was constantly isolated from these plants. One isolate from each location was tested for pathogenicity on tomato seedlings. All these isolates caused severe necrotic lesions of the crown and roots, and stem cankers. It was concluded that F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici (FORL) was the cause of the outbreak. Incidence ranged from 10 to 50%. Cold weather conditions occurring in Malta during the late fall and winter of 2004–2005 probably favoured the disease. The use of tomato cultivars or hybrids resistant to FORL is suggested for winter tomato crops in south Mediterranean areas.peer-reviewe

First record of Aleurolobus olivinus (Silvestri) (Hemiptera : Aleyrodidae) in Malta

In recent years there have been a number of faunistic studies on the whitefly fauna of the Mediterranean Basin. A total of 56 species accommodated within 25 genera were recorded from Europe and countries bordering the Mediterranean Basin (Martin et al., 2000). The whitefly fauna of the Maltese Islands was thoroughly investigated with 13 species recorded (Mifsud, 1995; Mifsud & Palmieri, 1996). Mifsud (1995) suggested that other whitefly species could eventually be found in Malta mainly due to their typical Mediterranean distribution and availability of their host plant/so One such species, Aleurolobus olivinus (Silvestri), was recently collected in Malta and it thus represents a new record for this country.peer-reviewe

ICT and preservice teachers. Short case study about conditions of teacher preparation in: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Uruguay and Poland

Este trabajo fue apoyado por el proyecto ERANET-LAC que ha recibido financiación de la Unión Europea Séptimo Programa Marco. Proyecto Ecosistema Inteligente para el Aprendizaje y la Inclusión - ERANet17/ICT-0076SELIThe paper aims at presenting the most important indicators teacher preparation in the context of the developing information society. The text was written as part of the SELI project. It is the international study which seeks to answer the question about the factors determining the efficient use of ICT among the pedagogy students. This theoretical study joins the debate on the curricula and local, national and global conditions related to the education of teachers of the future. The text presents data from three countries from Latin America and the Caribbean region and one from Europe. The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is key for any society that wishes to develop and face the local and global challenges that arise every day. However, teachers play a fundamental role in ensuring that these technologies are taught and reach the entire population adequately. During this process, an important number of challenges and problems must be faced, as a result of the current context in which the Dominican Republic, as a developing country, finds itself. In the present work we make a brief description of the main challenges and defies faced by ICT teachers. In the section referring to Ecuador, a general outline of the academic education for preservice teachers is presented. The numeric data are presented about the education system and the preparation of future teachers. The legal grounds have also been described. While discussing the conditions in Ecuador, the authors focus on the technical aspects of education, like the use of e-learning technologies. They also refer briefly to the need for lifelong learning. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the way the challenges of ICT are approached in preservice teacher education in Uruguay. Initially, some background information is provided about how preservice teacher education is organized for at the different levels. Secondly, the focus is on the way Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been included in the preservice teacher education and training curricula and the changes that this inclusion is undergoing. The overview shows a transitioning process, from a rather disperse and fragmented approach with a variety of courses, projects and programs, to a more consistent and centralized one. The article finishes with a few conclusions and ponders some Uruguay perspectives, joining an ongoing debate around unanswered questions and identified challenges. The Polish section presents several important changes associated with the reform of the education system, which affects the professional teacher preparation. The authors also present the examples of the academic curricula for Information Technologies and Media in Education courses carried out in the Pedagogical University of Cracow. Based on the short analyses, we have noticed that despite the geographical, language and cultural differences, teacher preparation in the area of ICT use shows many common features which are the global challenges. These shared elements include: legal systems preparing teachers to perform their profession, the development of digital literacy, modernisation of the academic curricula and technical infrastructure, and motivation to use ICT solutions among the preservice teacher