fields activities

1. Investigation of the biology of Popillia japonica

To study the biology of the insect, especially for the life stages living in the soil, tests are carried out to determine the influence of environmental conditions (for example temperature, humidity and soil composition) on the survival, development and fecundity of Popillia japonica. These tests are carried out using mesocosms, (i.e. ad hoc experimental systems) to study the biological responses of the species in semi-natural conditions, guaranteeing at the same time the confinement and control of the system in which the species develops.

2. Adult control

In order to develop advanced protocols for the rational and sustainable management of Popillia japonica, a field trial is underway aimed at testing and comparing the effectiveness of the main plant protection products currently on the market for the control of adults. The experimentation takes into account not only the different active ingredients and modes of action but also the most affected crops (vines, nursery plants, orchards, ornamental lawns, corn and soybeans). Also in this case, the experimentation involves a series of interventions in a semi-controlled environment that allow to test the products on populations of a known size. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the active ingredients is carried out in the short and in the medium-long term, considering the persistence of the plant protection product in order to establish which insecticides are most effective for the control of larvae and adults.

In addition to the use of insecticides, the possibility of using physical barriers is also tested. In orchards and nurseries, experiments are carried out on the flight capacity of the adults to evaluate the effectiveness of insect-nets (treated or not with pyrethroids) placed at the edges of the plots to prevent Popillia japonica coming from neighboring infested areas.

3. Test of a machine for treatment against larvae

In collaboration with the MA/AG company of Casalbuttano (CR), we are working on the development and the testing of a prototype of a specialised machine for the application of insecticides to the soil with low impact on the turf and on the agronomic characteristics of the soil. This technology will allow the application of insecticidal treatments against the larvae of Popillia japonica, thus preventing the development of the adult stage, while reducing the impacts to the roots and to the surface soil layers. To achieve this objective, key parameters such as the calibration of the distributing nozzles and the calculation of the application volume of the active ingredient are being evaluated.

4. Control of larvae through the use of entomopathogenic nematodes

Entomopathogenic nematodes are small cylindrical worms, not visible to the naked eye, which live in the ground where they attack and parasitize the larvae of beetles, lepidopterans, dipterans and hymenopterans. Some nematode species are already used in the biological control of invasive species, including Popillia. In order to identify possible options for the biological control of Popillia japonica infestations, the relationship between the presence in the soil of specific entomopathogenic nematodes and larvae of this invasive species deserves careful investigation. The research involves taking soil samples for the analysis of the nematodes present, in relation to the number of Popillia japonica larvae found in the same soil samples, and screen them againt the pest.