In recent years, nine virus species transmitted by white flies have been identified in Andalusia. According to the Institute of Research and Agricultural Training (Ifapa), around 30 different species have been found in Almeria since the 80's.
The Andalusian Council of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development has made great investments (through Ifapa) in research and technological transfer in order to tackle new illnesses and pests. This has been carried out mainly by means of test crops, as part of the project "Sustainable Development of Protected Horticulture", co-funded by the European Fund for Regional Development (Feder).
New Delhi
The results of these tests, presented recently in Almeria in a workshop dealing with the Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus, which has caused significant losses in courgette crops, demonstrate the ease in which viruses are spread, such as the one mentioned above.
All information related to the nine viruses identified by Ifapa has been transferred to the sector by means of informative workshops and training sessions. In the meantime, further diagnostic tests are being conducted and new regulations introduced for the prevention of viral infections.
Some measures under consideration intended to tackle the effects of viruses transmitted by white flies include integrated control combined with biological methods. Other initiatives are based on the introduction of cultivars resistant to viruses and on the search for ways to make them resistant to new illnesses.
Source: fhalmeria.com
