Welcome to the XVII IOBC-WPRS Working Group Biological and Integrated Control of Plant Pathogens!
The general goal of the Working Group is to promote cooperation among scientists, to facilitate the exchange of expertise on biological control against plant diseases caused by plant pathogens and to support its implementation in agriculture across the West Palaearctic Region and beyond. The Working Group organizes workshops for scientists and extension specialists as well as producers and final users of biological control products.
The XVII workshop “From single microbes to microbiomes targeting One Health” will focus on the role of microorganisms that are isolated, selected, characterized, and deployed to control plant pathogens going beyond plant health to protect organismal health in a holistic approach. A total of 146 contributions were submitted, five will be presented as invited talks, 48 as oral presentations, 44 as flash talks and 49 as posters. The contributions have been organized in ten sessions. Application of biocontrol agents, as single strains or in consortia, will be presented and discussed in a context of climate change to control emerging and complex plant diseases. The partnership between industry and academia will be explored to improve and make more efficient the production and deployment of biocontrol products. Moreover, recent findings will be presented about how to explore new sources of biocontrol agents, the mechanisms that regulate the complex interactions among microbes, plants, and pathogens. Last, but not least a roundtable has been organized to discuss how to overcome current bottlenecks in the biocontrol product registration process to avoid unnecessary delays and costs. Ample time has been allocated to allow knowledge exchange and to deepen the discussion among participants about how biological control can be fostered under changing climate conditions that affect plant, animal, and human wellbeing.
Scientists representing 36 countries from the six continents will join and contribute to the quality and biodiversity of the meeting.
We look forward to meeting you in Torino,
Davide Spadaro and Monica Mezzalama, Chairs
Tomislav Cernava, Convenor