Identifying obstacles and ranking common biological control research priorities for Europe to manage most economically important pests in arable,vegetable and perennial crops

EU agriculture is currently in transition from conventional crop protection to integrated pest management (IPM). Because biocontrol is a key component of IPM, many European countries recently have intensified their national efforts on biocontrol research and innovation (R&I), although such initiatives are often fragmented. The operational outputs of national efforts would benefit from closer collaboration among stakeholders via transnationally coordinated approaches, as most economically important pests are similar across Europe. This paper proposes a common European framework on biocontrol R&I. It identifies generic R&I bottlenecks and needs as well as priorities for three crop types (arable, vegetable and perennial crops). The existing gap between the market offers of biocontrol solutions and the demand of growers, the lengthy and expensive registration process for biocontrol solutions and their varying effectiveness due to variable climatic conditions and site‐specific factors across Europe are key obstacles hindering the development and adoption of biocontrol solutions in Europe. Considering arable, vegetable and perennial crops, a dozen common target pests are identified for each type of crop and ranked by order of importance at European level. Such a ranked list indicates numerous topics on which future joint transnational efforts would be justified. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Advocating a need for suitable breeding approaches to boost integrated pest management: a European perspective

Currently, European farmers do not have access to sufficient numbers and diversity of crop species/varieties. This prevents them from designing cropping systems more resilient to abiotic and biotic stresses. Crop diversification is a key lever to reduce pest (pathogens, animal pests and weeds) pressures at all spatial levels from fields to landscapes. In this context, plant breeding should consist of: (1) increased efforts in the development of new or minor crop varieties to foster diversity in cropping systems, and (2) focus on more resilient varieties showing local adaptation. This new breeding paradigm, called here ‘breeding for integrated pest management (IPM)’, may boost IPM through the development of cultivars with tolerance or resistance to key pests, with the goal of reducing reliance on conventional pesticides. At the same time, this paradigm has legal and practical implications for future breeding programs, including those targeting sustainable agricultural systems. By putting these issues into the context, this article presents the key outcomes of a questionnaire survey and experts' views expressed during an EU workshop entitled ‘Breeding for IPM in sustainable agricultural systems’. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Exudative epidermitis and porcine circovirus-2 infection in a Swedish SPF-herd

An outbreak of exudative epidermitis (EE) among piglets in a Swedish SPF-herd initiated a survey for indications as to the cause of disease.The herd was established by caesarean section and has been closed to all new animal material, with the exception of semen for artificial insemination (AI). The study comprised serum samples from the SPF-herd over a 10-year period (n=109) and a close monitoring of animals in the herd during the period after the EE outbreak. Serum samples from conventional boars at the AI-station servicing the herd were also included (n=9). All serum samples were tested for antibodies to porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2). In addition, 3-week-old piglets from three litters (n=24) farrowed close after the initial EE outbreak were closely monitored for clinical signs of skin disease, sampled for Staphylococcus hyicus, tested for antibodies to porcine parvovirus and in sequentially collected serum samples tested for interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and interleukin-6.The PVC-2 serology showed that animals in the herd were sero-negative at least until 2 months prior to the EE outbreak. During the period close after the EE outbreak the animals showed varying levels of antibodies to PCV-2 but all the tested animals had sero-converted 4 months later. The AI boars were also sero-positive to PCV-2 at the time of the EE outbreak. Animals in the SPF-herd remained sero-positive to PCV-2 during the following 7 years. In the monitored litters, one piglet had clinical EE and 15 piglets displayed defined erythemas on the abdomen. Fourteen of the piglets also had IFN-alpha in serum on one or more occasions during the study, indicating viral activity among the animals. S. hyicus was isolated from all of the piglets from the earliest sampling point (3 days of age) and onwards, irrespective of clinical signs. PCV-2 was isolated from lymph node tissue collected from one of the EE affected pigs.Further, increases in the number of stillborn piglets, small litters (<6 piglets) and repeat breeders could be correlated to the time of PCV-2 sero-conversion. Coincidence of active viral infection and sero-conversion to PCV-2 points to the virus as the cause of the EE outbreak and reproductive disturbances.