@purpest-eu
πΏ Plant pest prevention through technology-guided monitoring and site-specific control π | Funded by the Horizon Europe Research & Innovation Programme πͺπΊ nΒΊ 101060634 | β‘οΈ https://www.purpest.eu/
π Thaumetopoea processionea is the Latin name of the final insect in the #FORSAIDPests campaign - the oak processionary moth.
π¬ Currently, FORSAID is testing smart traps to improve the monitoring of this species.
π forsaid.eu/objective#In...
πWe congratulatΠ΅ our partners from @purpest-eu.bsky.social on their successful participation at #IPMEssen2026!
πFind out more about their involvement at the international horticulture exhibition below:
Logo illustration for the 48th New Phytologist Symposium: Forest interactions. Two trees are connected by fungal hyphae with fruiting bodies visible above ground. Soil fauna are visible below ground. Insects and macrofauna including a hare and birds can be seen above ground. A satellite can be seen in the sky.
Explore plant interactions in forests from micro- to macro-scales, across the whole spectrum of plant biology.
Submit your abstract for the 48th New Phytologist Symposium: Forest interactions by 20 May!
π
13β16 October 2026
π Leysin, Switzerland
#PlantScience
www.newphytologist.org/events/48-nps
π§ A new podcast episode dedicated to PurPest is out!
π Tune in to the episode released by our partners at NIBIO
www.purpest.eu/news/podcast...
π± PurPest was at the worldβs leading horticulture trade fair!
Missed us? Take a look back at our booth at #IPMEssen2026 π
www.purpest.eu/news/ipm-ess...
π’ Upcoming event alert!
π’ Webinar - Letβs Talk About Planted Forests
π
Join online to discuss maritime pine and pine wood nematode in South-West Europe: status and challenge.
π 27 February 2026 at 2:00 PM CET (Paris Time)
π’ Registration: www.plantedforests.org/webinar-lets...
#forest #plantedforest #ForestScience
π Meet the European spruce bark beetle - the latest subject of the #FORSAIDPests campaign.
π‘ FORSAID is innovating remote sensing, smart trapping and automatic identification solutions to address outbreaks of this species in the Old Continent's forests.
π Find out more: forsaid.eu/objective#In...
π’ This month, @forestnavigeu.bsky.social, @forestpaths.eu and PathFinder are coming together for the third edition of the Forest Talks webinar series!
β Register now to participate in this insightful online event on Earth observation data in forestry at the national level:
#Forests #PlantHealth
π The FORSAID Project just released its first interview!
π³ The #FORSAIDPests campaign continues with another member of the Agrilus genus - the emerald ash borer.
πΈ Our project will explore proximal remote sensing, environmental DNA and automatic identification tools to improve detection and monitoring of this species.
π forsaid.eu/objective#In...
π€ The @purpest-eu.bsky.social consortium met online on Feb 5β6, 2026, to review progress on VOC analysis, sensor development, impact & outreach, and to align next steps ahead of demo campaigns π
Find out more π www.purpest.eu/news/meeting...
π’ Officially in print!
βMultiple factors associated with forest decline in the context of control measures for the pinewood #nematodeβ is out in Eur J of Plant Pathol: doi.org/10.1007/s106...
π² We show that managing PWD is ecologically complex & that focusing on a single cause is detrimental.
π’ Webinar - Letβs Talk About Planted Forests
π
Join online to discuss maritime pine and pine wood nematode in South-West Europe: status and challenge.
π 27 February 2026 at 2:00 PM CET (Paris Time)
π’ Registration: www.plantedforests.org/webinar-lets...
#forest #plantedforest #ForestScience
π½οΈ A recent video by #HorizonEU project @purpest-eu.bsky.social unveils a new technological approach to pest detection:
π‘ Dive into the future of sensing with our VOC detection technology in action π₯!
π Watch our newest video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSvv...
Thomas Jung ( #Phytophthora Research Centre, Mendel University in Brno) presented his experience with project Purpest @purpest-eu.bsky.social :
What works in Horizon Europe: experiences, challenges and tips?
π± We're starting 2026 by taking lab science into the field, supporting crop, forest, and ecosystem protection across Europe.
π Catch up on the latest PurPest activities in our January newsletter: www.purpest.eu/news/newslet...
πΊ Fellow #HorizonEurope project @purpest-eu.bsky.social has recently released a new video on one of their target #Pest species, the cotton bollworm!
π Discover the innovations in digital solutions they will be pursuing to address this threat to #PlantHealth:
βΆοΈ New video produced by @nibiolandskap.bsky.social covering the #cottonbollworm pest and how @purpest-eu.bsky.social is streamlining detection methods!
youtu.be/qb44FOW18yA?...
π New patent secured under the PurPest framework!
Saftra Photonics has reached a major tech milestone with the acceptance of Slovak Patent SK 289367 B6.
Find out more π www.purpest.eu/news/patent-...
π Bringing innovation to the field: PurPest at the University of Bologna
Over 2024β2025, Prof. Pavol MiΕ‘kovskΓ½ and the Saftra Photonics team brought cutting-edge SERS-enhanced nanosensor research directly to the University of Bologna.
Read all about it at π www.purpest.eu/news/pavol-b...
π³ A Cost Action and EPPO conference brought experts together in Portugal to discuss advances in #treehealth and monitoring tech. Strong FORSAID participation highlighted new tools and shared efforts to strengthen #biosecurity across #forests and cities.
Read more: bit.ly/44P08JP
π¨ New paper alert within the scope of @purpest-eu.bsky.social!
This review provides important insights into the environmental impacts of agricultural pest insects, highlighting overlooked mechanisms and identifying key knowledge gaps!
Find out more at π www.purpest.eu/news/horrock...
π² We congratulate our partners from INIAV on showcasing innovations by #HorizonEurope initiative @purpest-eu.bsky.social at the Eighth National Meeting of Forest Health Inspectors in Portugal!
#Forests #Pests #PlantHealth
Phytophthora ramorum is an invasive generalist plant pathogen introduced to North America and Europe in the mid-1990s and is now established in forests and the nursery industry. It causes sudden oak death in the western US and sudden larch death in Western Europe, leading to extensive forest decline and mortality. While well studied in California and Oregon, no quantitative assessment exists for its potential economic impact on European forestry. We assessed the potential direct economic impact of P. ramorum on larch and beech in Europe under a βno-controlβ scenario. Climatically optimal areas for disease expression were derived using the CLIMEX niche model with refined parameter values, updated climate data, and P. ramorum occurrence records from symptomatic forest trees. These areas were overlaid with host distribution data to identify assets at risk. We then applied a radial range expansion model and a partial budgeting method to quantify annualized average damage costs. Our results indicate that 10 % of the study area is climatically optimal for disease expression. Within that area, 4 223 kmΒ² of larch and 2 577 kmΒ² of beech are at risk. Under worst-case spread and mortality assumptions, annual direct damage costs could exceed β¬117 million for larch and β¬130 million for beech. Countries such as the UK, Italy, Austria, and Germany face the highest risks, while potential impacts in Southern Europe are negligible. This study provides an updated risk assessment of the current post-invasion state of P. ramorum in Europe, facilitating informed decision-making and the development of appropriate management strategies.
Work of Stelios Kartakis on the framework of @purpest-eu.bsky.social project:
"Modeling disease expression of #Phytophthora ramorum to estimate potential #EconomicImpacts in #EuropeanForests"
doi.org/10.1016/j.fo...
#ForestPathogen
#PlantBiosecurity
#InvasivePlantPathogen
#Oomycete
π² Phytophthora ramorum remains a major threat to Europe's forests π
A new modeling study by Kartakis et al. forecasts its disease impact and the economic costs.
Find out more π www.purpest.eu/news/stelios...
#Phytophthora #ForestPathology #Biosecurity
π @purpest-eu.bsky.social got an incredible reception at the VIII National Meeting of Forest Health Inspectors! π²
Find out more at www.purpest.eu/news/viii-nm...
#Biosecurity #Forestry #PurPest
β οΈ The spread of the pinewood nematode is a development of great concern to the future of European forests.
π€ We stand by our fellow #HorizonEurope project @purpest-eu.bsky.social as we pursue complementary innovations in the management of such outbreaks.
#Forests #Pests #PlantHealth
π° @cerealpath.bsky.social recently participated in the WTO Committee Thematic Session on Science-Based Import Controls to Facilitate Safe Trade to talk about VOC-based early detection technologies. Read the news at www.purpest.eu/news/wto-sps...
βΆοΈ Watch the video www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljsv...