The culture of the chestnut tree is extremely important in the northern region of Portugal,
occupying a significant! proportion of useful agricultural area. The annual average
chestnut production in Portugal can reach 20 000 tons. New plantation areas have
increased in the last law decades. However the ink disease caused by the oomycete
Phytophthora cinnamomi has damage and killed many trees and up to now no concrete
solutions have been offered to control the illness. As a consequence, the disease
propagation in the orchards 01 chestnut trees has been causing severe productivity and
yield breaks. ln addition to the economical lasses, the importance of sociological and
landscape aspects for the region cannot be neglecte
