PREFACE

By considering that soil disinfestation still plays a major role in intensive agriculture, even in the presence of severe restrictions on the usage of the fumigants currently employed, especially methyl bromide, the opportunity to pursue the tradition started at the University of Leuven (Belgium) by Prof. C. Van Assche was discussed among a number of colleagues, leading to the organization of this Symposium on “Chemical and non-chemical soil and substrate disinfestation”.

This Symposium was intended as a forum for an open discussion on available technologies for soil and substrate disinfestation as well as on the needs of research in this field to improve soil disinfestation technologies and for providing a unique opportunity to researchers from all over the world interested in the implementation of soil and substrate disinfestation to discuss and compare their results and to develop new ways of cooperation and communication.

The methyl bromide issue has driven on soil disinfestation the attention of researchers, growers and policy makers. We should take advantage of this momentum in order to concentrate our efforts to develop new ideas and follow more innovative paths. However we should also stimulate the policy makers to adjust international and national regulations and develop educational programmes for the farmers and widespread and efficient extension service: the final goal should be an effective, economic and ecologically based pest management.

Only a global and coordinated approach involving all actors will permit to transfer into practice the results achieved during these years of research. Every efforts should be spent to favor close cooperation among national and foreign research centers, extension services, fumigators, growers, legislators and consumers and several ways should be developed to ensure that all information and know-how will be adequately diffused.

We hope that this Symposium will be of decisive help to this purpose and that the discussion will provide the right suggestions to render operative the results achieved by the researchers. It cannot be forgotten that the final target of our work is the assistance of the farmers in the proper adoption of new methods for soil disinfestation.

This Symposium is dedicated to the memory of the late Dr. Avshalom (Avi) Grinstein, a leading scientist in the field of soil disinfestation and, even more important, a friend of most of us. May the remembrance of his deep concern about the environment and of his dedication to growers inspire our research towards environmentally safe technologies that will be adopted in practice.


M.L. Gullino
J. Katan
A. Garibaldi
A. Matta


PREFACE

This volume of Acta Horticulturae is the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Chemical and Non-Chemical Soil and Substrate Disinfestation.

Invited and keynote speakers and selected authors of offered oral papers and posters had the opportunity to submit their manuscipts for publication in this volume of the series Acta Horticulturae.

Submitted manuscipts were reviewed by at least two members of the Editorial Board and amended according to the referee suggestions prior to acceptance.

The Editorial Board could not accept all manuscripts submitted for publication.

The ISHS acknowledges the cooperation received from the Editors and Editorial Board on reviewing the manuscripts which was a significant contribution to the overall quality of the publication.

The ISHS Board of Directors


WELCOME ADDRESS

It gives to me a great pleasure to introduce the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Chemical and Non-Chemical soil disinfestation, organized by the DI.VA.P.R.A.- Plant Pathology of the University of Torino.

The University of Torino is strongly supporting this initiative, as a sign of attention to the research activities carried out during the past years by such Department and as a natural expression of his attitude to foster a broad discussion among researchers from all-over the world.

The geographical position of Torino puts this city at the crossroad of Europe and the University of Torino wishes to fully take advantage of this favourable position, by making all efforts in order to be a real european and, more ambitiously, world University.

The campus of Grugliasco where your are gathered is at present a nice and precious jewel of the University of Torino.

I wish to thank the many Agencies (starting from the European Union, the Italian Ministry of Environment, the United Nations Environment Programme) and the private companies who did first support the research carried out by the DI.V.P.R.A. and are now sponsoring this Symposium.

I believe that such a level of attention is a signal of the relevance of the topic discuss, and as recognition of the fact that the leading scientists of the world are assembled here in Torino as well as a will of helping in finding solutions to a problem that, I understand, is of vital importance in intensive agriculture.

The organization of this Symposium is also an indication of the attitude of the University of Torino to be open the the real world, of its ablilty to integrate with the institutions in order to foster the spreading and to accelerate the transfer into the practice of the results, and to provide helpful hints for the design of new legislative measures.

Moreover, as a consumer, I wish to express my confidence in considering that public and private researchers from all over the world are working together in order to guarantee to the entire world enough food that is of high quality and safe.


Rinaldo Bertolino
Recto
University of Torino


FOREWORD

It is well known that the essential role of agriculture and especially horticulture in Italy, is not only a source of income but also a means of valorizarion and protection of our environment. Research and experimentation of the past years have led to significant results: new enviromentally safe agricultural practices and disease management strategies have been developed in order to assure high quality yields without the massive use of chemicals as done in the past.

Since the inclusion of methyl bromide in the Montreal Protocol among the substances responsible of the depletion of the stratospheric ozome layer, the Italian vegetable and ornamental sector, one of the most important and profitable production sector for agriculture in Italy, is facing the not simple problem of the gradual phasing out of this fumigant. The special economical, environmental and social conditions of Italy, and of several other southern European countries, whose agriculture greatly relies on the use of methyl bromide as soil fumigant, make its replacement a not easy task.

The Ministry of Environment, aware of the difficulties faced by the Italian growers, has stimulated the research of short and middle-term solutions, suitable to the extremely variable and diversified Italian agriculture. Short-term solutions have permitted to significantly reduce the dosages and, therefore, the emissions of methyl bromide in the atmosphere, through the application of virtually impermeable films for covering the soil during fumigation. Meanwhile, researchers are developing new strategies based mainly on the combination of the different control methods, environmentally safe and economically feasible, in order to gradually reduce the need for chemicals.

Moreover, aiming to facilitate the adoption of the new alternatives and the design of new methyl bromide - related rules, the Ministry of Environment is strongly active in diffusing scientific results, information and know-how within the proper targets (growers, technicians, consumers and politicians) with particular attention to developing countries.

It is with great pleasure that the Ministry of Environment - SIAR supports this Symposium, also as an expression of the interest towards the agriculture and its problems.

I do believe that the helpful discussion generated during this Symposium will help developing sound disinfestation techniques. The interesting and encouraging results presented in these Proceedings are a good premise for the maintenance of an intensive and economical viable agriculture, more environmentally sound.


Corrado Clini
Director General - S.I.A.R.
Ministry of Environment,
Rome - Italy