Pupils from class 2D had a good intuition! In fact, the Fungzuka device is being tested by CREA's researchers since summer 2023. The "Fungzuka" is an "Attract-Infest-Release" device that is conceived to bring adult Popillia japonica insects in contact with the spores of an entomopathogenic fungus and let them fly away carrying with them their ...
In the past months many field trials and lab experiments gave their results, and they are good results! In our lab, we found that a family of molecules called "saponins", that are naturally present in alfalfa plants, have a significant antifeedant and insecticidal effects on Popillia. Basing on this molecules, it will be possible to devel...
Today 20th December 2022, some students from the University of Florence and Pisa come to visit CREA @CREAricerca in an Open-Day program. We talked about the answers that Research can provide to the new challenges in agriculture, our works and, of course, the IPM-POPILLIA project.
Entomopathogenic fungi are micro-organisms naturally occurring in the environment, most of all in soil. They are natural parasites of insects that proliferate killing their host. Metarhizium is one of the most used ones in biological control. The CREA team has isolated a Metarhizium robertsii strain called 17/T02 ...
