12 research outputs found
Armillaria root rot on highbush blueberry in northern Italy: monitoring, identification and inoculum sources
No full textHighbush blueberry plants infected by Armillaria spp. were reported in north-eastern Italy (Province of Trento). After inspection, 13 blueberry orchards were found to be infected in the Valsugana valley. Armillaria sp. samples were collected from blueberry plants, from bark spread on
the blueberry rows and from infected trees and stumps in the orchard surroundings. The species determination was performed using a species-specific multiplex PCR approach. Efficacy trials with potential biocontrol agents against Armillaria sp. were carried out on young blueberry plants. The average percentage of stunted plants in the infected fields was 11%, while the percentage of dead
plants was generally very low (average of 1.5%). The most frequent species infecting blueberries were A. gallica and A. mellea: in each field one species largely dominated the other. The tested Trichoderma strains, especially T. atroviride SC1, were the most effective biocontrol agents against A. gallica and A. mellea
Genetic diversity of Armillaria spp. infecting highbush blueberry in Northern Italy (Trentino region)
No full textBridging the gap between skills demand and supply in the maritime and marine sectors: MATES Project
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MarineTraining.eu – Towards tomorrow’s new blue challenges in Europe's Marine and Maritime education landscape
No full textFood and feed safety aspects of cisgenic crop plant varieties
No full textThis report presents the results of the discussions that identified food and feed safety aspects of cisgenic plant varieties in comparison to conventional varieties on the one hand and transgenic plant varieties on the other hand. It was concluded that on the basis of the general characteristics of cisgenic plant varieties, there is, from a food and feed safety perspective, no scientific basis for a general reduction of requirements for cisgenic crop plant varieties
The development of a cisgenic apple plant
No full textCisgenesis represents a step toward a new generation of GM crops. The lack of selectable genes (e.g. antibiotic or herbicide resistance) in the final product and the fact that the inserted gene(s) derive from organisms sexually compatible with the target crop should rise less environmental concerns and increase consumer's acceptance. Here we report the generation of a cisgenic apple plant by inserting the endogenous apple scab resistance gene HcrVf2 under the control of its own regulatory sequences into the scab susceptible apple cultivar Gala. A previously developed method based on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation combined with a positive and negative selection system and a chemically inducible recombination machinery allowed the generation of apple cv. Gala carrying the scab resistance gene HcrVf2 under its native regulatory sequences and no foreign genes. Three cisgenic lines were chosen for detailed investigation and were shown to carry a single T-DNA insertion and express the target gene HcrVf2. This is the first report of the generation of a true cisgenic plan
Vaccination status of Belgian dairy farms - Implications for future IBR-surveillance
No full textInfectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) is a major concern for the global livestock industry due to its considerable economic consequences. Caused by Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), the disease manifests in a wide range of clinical outcomes. Beyond these direct effects, IBR also contributes to infertility, reduced milk yield, and immunosuppression, which together compromise productivity on cattle farms. Owing to these impacts, IBR is regarded as an economically significant disease, and active surveillance programs are in place across Europe.
One important pillar of many IBR eradication programs has been the application of DIVA vaccination with a gE deletion. However, the Animal Health Law, issued by the European Union, pushes to move from gE antibody detection to whole virus or gB antibody detection. After all, gB and whole virus antibody ELISAs are considered more sensitive and in certain ways also more specific as compared to gE ELISAs. In Belgium, farm statuses are in part based on the application of vaccination. Thus, registration of vaccination is obligatory. However, it is clear that a significant portion of the vaccinations are not registered when we observe the numbers of sold vaccines from the national stock of available DIVA vaccines while vaccination registrations remain low. Therefore, it is unclear which farms can be surveilled using gB or whole virus antibody ELISAs.
In 2022, bulk milk samples from all dairy farms participating in the June monitoring campaign were duplicated and analyzed at Sciensano using both gE and gB antibody ELISAs. Following a major and unexpected IBR outbreak in West-Vlaanderen in 2024, vaccine demand surged and national stocks were frequently depleted, although official registration rates remained low. Consequently, the vaccination ban deadline was postponed three times, and attitudes in the field shifted markedly in favor of vaccination. To assess the impact of this outbreak, the experiment was repeated in February 2025. Surprisingly, vaccination prevalence did not increase (38%) compared to 2022 (48%), although the outbreak likely slowed the expected decline in vaccinated herds. Additional analyses revealed patterns of regional and veterinary clustering, evidence of gE aspecificity, and an effect of milk freshness on gE test performance.
This data shows that a significant portion of the IBR surveillance of dairy farms in Belgium can shift towards whole virus antibody ELISA, which directly solves some of the gE antibody ELISA down sides, including the legal limits imposed by the Animal Health Law. Furthermore surveillance can be refined by taking in account the regional differences.
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