16th Meeting of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group "INTEGRATED CONTROL IN PROTECTED CROPS, MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE"
2-5 September 2025, Podgorica, Montenegro

 

MEETING PROGRAM
DATE: 2 SEPTEMBER 2025
09:00 - 10:00h OPENING CEREMONY
Keynote speech 1 - Rob Tanner (Chairperson: Stanislav Trdan / Secretary: Laura M. Martinez-Chavez)
10:00 - 10:45h

KS 1

R. Tanner

Challenges and opportunities of utilization of biological control against regulated pests of protected crops in the EPPO region
10:45 - 11:30h COFFEE BREAK
Session 1: Integrated control of new and emerging pests (Chairperson: Bruno Gobin / Secretary: Alessia Farina)
11:30 - 11:50h 1 J. Calvo Development of an adapted biocontrol-based program for Scirtothrips control in Strawberry
11:50 - 12:10h 2 M. La-Spina Populations of Thrips and Their Potential Natural Enemies in Sweet Pepper Greenhouses in Southeast Spain
12:10 - 12:30h 3 J. Pijnakker Evaluation of natural enemies against tobacco thrips Thrips parvispinus (Karny)
12:30 - 12:50h 4 S. Bouagga Exploring the potential of phytoseiids species and the minute pirate bug, Orius laevigatus, to control Thrips parvispinus in sweet pepper
12:50 - 13:10h 5 M. Ricupero Intestigating IPM tools to manage the invasive mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis
13:10 - 13:30h 6 F. Lefort In vitro biocontrol assays of Spodoptera frugiperda using indigenous entomophagous fungi from Ivory Coast
13:30 - 14:30h LUNCH BREAK
Session 2: Non insect pests (Chairperson: Ivana Majić / Secretary: Nikoletta Foskolou)
14:30 - 14:50h 7 I. Pajovic The most important phytoparasitic nematodes in Zeta valley greenhouses, Montenegro
14:50 - 15:10h 8 A. Sade Paradigm shift in spider-mite biocontrol in Israel: Preventive application of Neoseiuluscalifornicus replaces curative Phytoseiulus persimilis treatments in 5 cropping systems
Session 3: Tuta absoluta: a never sleeping challenge (Chairperson: Elisabete Figueiredo / Secretary: Blanca Sabarit)
15:10 - 15:30h 9 J. Collatz A review of combinations of alternative pest control methods for Phthorimaea absoluta
15:30h - 15:50h 10 A.J. Zannou Host plant characteristics determine the success of natural enemies against the tomato leafminer Phthorimaea absoluta
15:50 - 16:10h 11 L. Bentrcia Evaluation of Clematis flammula (Ranunculaceae family) to control Phthorimaea absoluta(Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): laboratory and field studies; chemical analysis
16:10 - 16:30h 12 E. Fytas The prey consumption of Tuta absoluta eggs by Macrolophus pygmaeus in the presence of marigold plant
16:30 - 16:50h COFFEE BREAK
16:50 - 17:10h 13 M.M. Karaca Biological Characteristics of the Native Parasitoid Bracon (Habrobracon) didemie Against Tutaabsoluta Under Laboratory Conditions
17:10 - 17:30h 14 J. Arno Frenemies in action: exploring the interactions of Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris with other natural enemies of Tuta absoluta
17:30 - 17:50h 15 P. Urbaneja-Bernat Modulating trophic interactions among natural enemies of Tuta absoluta in tomato crops using artificial sugary diets
17:50 - 18:10h 16 M. Yousef-Yousef Control of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) through a translaminar endophytic strain of Metarhizium brunneum Petch with systemic effect
18:10 - 18:40h General conclusive discussion of DAY 1 (animated by the chairpersons of the day)
 
 DATE: 3 SEPTEMBER 2025
08:00 - 16:30h TECHNICAL EXCURSION
16:30 - 17:40h Discussion on IP guidelines in protected crops (Moderator: Carlo Malavolta, Convenor of the IOBC/WPRS ExpertGroup "Guidelines for Integrated Production"
17:40 - 18:00h   N. Ward Knowledge drives IPM success: developing the Biobest Academy e-learning platform for IPMadvisers and practitioners
 

DATE: 4 SEPTEMBER 2025
Keynote speech 2 - Z. Tomanovic (Chairperson: Judit Arno / Secretary: María Cuenca-Medina)
09:00 - 09:45h KS 2 Z. Tomanovic Aphid parasitoids taxonomy and new resources for biological control
Session 4: Biological control of aphids (Chairperson: Olivera Petrović-Obradović / Secretary: Mahmut Mete Karaca)
09:45 - 10:05h 17 A. Pozzebon Evaluation of various predators for controlling the aphid Aphis nerii on ornamental Mandevilla plants
10:05 - 10:25h 18 E. Quesada-Moraga Tandem use of endophytic entomopathogenic fungi and the generalist predator Chrysoperlacarnea for reduced-risk aphid management
10:25 - 10:45h 19 L.M. Martinez-Chavez Is there a link between protective endosymbionts, genotypes and parasitoids of thepotato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) on strawberry crops?
10:45 - 11:05h 20 M. Cuenca-Medina A Beauveria bassiana Balsamo Vuill. strain for Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) controland plant growth promotion in tomato
11:05 - 11:25h 21 L. Velasco Multi-target gene silencing via nanoparticle-delivered dsRNA: an efficient approach for Myzus persicae management
11:25 - 11:50h COFFEE BREAK
Session 5: Predators in IPM: spiders and bugs (Chairperson: Maria Pappas / Secretary: Angelos Mouratidis)
11:50 - 12:10h 22 A. Leman The role of spiders as biological control agents in greenhouse crops - preliminary study
12:10 - 12:30h 23 E. Figueiredo Plant damage by mirids - are there differences between species?
12:30 - 12:50h 24 N. Hinomoto Current status and future prospects of biological control using the zoophytophagous miridbug Nesidiocoris tenuis in Japan
12:50 - 13:10h 25 G. Siscaro Elucidating the role of Nesidiocoris tenuis in Italy: a contemporary perspective
13:10 - 13:30h 26 Y. Tamada Diurnal patterns and impact of temperature on activity of Nesidiocoris tenuis
13:30 - 14:30h LUNCH BREAK
14:30 - 14:50h 27 N. Gonzales-Mas Behavioural responses of the zoophytophagous predator Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) tomelon and tomato plants endophytically colonized by the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin
14:50 - 15:10h 28 A. Mouratidis Orius and Diglyphus isaea: A matching pair for the control of leafminers in chrysanthemum
15:10 - 15:30h 29 I. Menghi Make way for the young too
15:30 - 15:50h 30  M. Benuzzi Side-effects of azadirachtin on the predatory bug Orius laevigatus under controlled conditions
15:50 - 16:10h 31 A. Rodriguez-Gomez Astigmatid mites as supplementary food in crops for Orius laevigatus (Hemiptera:Anthocoridae) strains adapted to suboptimal feeding
16:10 - 16:40h COFFEE BREAK
Session 6: Biological control of plant diseases (Chairperson: Gaetano Siscaro / Secretary: Εvangelos Fytas)
16:40 - 17:00h 32 M. Bardin Managing the complexity of deploying microbial biocontrol agents against plant diseases in an IPM context
17:00 - 17:20h 33 A. Sangaré Does plant genetics shape the protective efficacy of biocontrol against diseases?
17:20 - 17:40h 34 T. Nguyen Biological innovations: a new tool for biological control of Powdery Mildew
17:40 - 18:15h

General conclusive discussion of DAY 3 (animated by the chairpersons of the day)

 20:00 - 23:00h  CONFERENCE DINNER
 

 DATE: 5 SEPTEMBER 2025
Keynote speech 3 - Alberto Urbaneja (Chairperson: Marc Bardin / Secretary: Evgenia Sarakatsani)
08:30 - 09:15h KS 3 A. Urbaneja Holistic and sustainable approaches for pest and stress management in horticultural crops
Session 7: Plant derivated IPM solutions: resistance/tolerance and botanical insecticides (Chairperson: Mojca Rot / Secretary: Michele Ricupero)
09:15 - 09:35h 35 M. Pappas Assessing commercial tomato cultivars for their effects against key arthropod pests
09:35 - 09:55h 36 A. Farina Susceptibility of different cucumber genotypes to the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci
09:55 - 10:15h 37 G. Broufas Effects of different melon genotypes on the whitefly Bemisia tabaci
10:15 - 10:35h 38 B. Sabarit New plant-extracted insecticides for integrated control of whiteflies in vegetable protected crops
10:35 - 11:00h COFFEE BREAK
Session 8: Holistic approaches to IPM (Chairperson: Kamil Karut / Secretary: Michelangelo La Spina)
11:00 - 11:20h 39 A. Tsagkarakou Integrated approach to improve the use of biocontrol agents in IPM of key protected crop pests
11:20 - 11:40h 40 E. Sarakatsani Nectar fermentation by bacteria from the nectar of Fagopyrum esculentum: Effects onbiological control agents
11:40 - 12:00h 41 E. Vila Improving biocontrol efficiency by better-aligning predator and pest habitats
12:00 - 12:20h 42 N. Foskolou Enhancing biological pest control: olfactory conditioning of parasitoid wasps
12:20 - 12:40h 43 N. Tasaki Indirect effects of banker plants through herbivory-induced plant volatiles
12:40 - 13:00h General conclusive discussion of DAY 4 (animated by the chairpersons of the day)
13:00 - 14:00h Poster session (general public discussion on the poster exposed)
14:00 - 15:00h LUNCH BREAK
15:00 - 16:00h BUSINESS MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP + ELECTION OF THE NEW CONVENOR
16:00 - 16:30h CLOSURE OF THE MEETING

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