Pines are the most economically important trees in the world and, together with eucalyptus, they dominate commercial forests. But the success of a relatively small number of widely planted species, such as Pinus pinaster , the maritime pine, comes at a price. Pines are attractive to damaging pathogens and insect pests, including the pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus , the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD). Originally described in Japan, PWD has caused widespread destruction to forests in countries such as China, Taiwan, Portugal, Spain and the United States. PWN causes irreparable damage to the vascular system of its pine hosts, leading to mortality within 3 months. Pine sawyer beetles ( Monochamus spp.) are key vectors of PWD, introducing the PWN to healthy trees during feeding. Other organisms contribute to PWD spread and development, including bacteria, fungi and bark beetles. Control measures include tree felling to prevent vector transmission of PWN, insecticide treatments, trapping of Monochamus spp. and tree breeding for plant resistance. The PWN is a quarantine pathogen and subject to regular legislation and phytosanitary measures aimed at restricting movement and preventing introduction to new areas. Current research is investigating the use of biopesticides against PWN and Monochamus spp. This review examines the biology, epidemiology, impact and management of PWD through published research, grey literature and interviews with people directly involved in the management of the disease in Portugal.

Fusarium graminearum is a globally important cereal pathogen, causing head blight in wheat, resulting in yield losses and mycotoxin contamination. Currently, triazole fungicides are used to suppress Fusarium graminearum, however, the declining effectiveness of triazoles and concerns over the safety of pesticides have led to the pursuit of safe alternative crop protection strategies such as biofumigation. In the present study, species belonging to Brassicaceae (Brassica juncea, Raphanus sativus, Eruca sativa) were assessed for their biofumigation potential against F. graminearum and the glucosinolate profile of the brassicas was determined. In Petri dishes, mycelial plugs of Fusarium graminearum were exposed to frozen/defrosted leaf discs of brassicas collected at early-leaf, stem-extension, and early-bud stages. Additionally, F. graminearum inoculum was incubated in soil amended with chopped tissues of brassicas in a closed jar experiment. Glucosinolate analysis of the leaf tissue of brassicas revealed that the total glucosinolate concentration of B. juncea ‘Brons’ increased with advancing growth stage (24.5–51.9 µmol g⁻¹). Brassica juncea leaf discs were effective against mycelial growth, while the sinigrin content in the leaf tissue corresponded to the level of suppression. At the stem-extension and early-bud stages, B. juncea ‘Brons’ showed 87–90% suppression with four leaf discs, and 100% suppression with eight leaf discs. Brassica juncea ‘Caliente Rojo’ leaf discs collected at the stem-extension stage showed 94% inhibition with eight discs. In the closed jar experiment, each brassica species significantly suppressed F. graminearum inoculum by 41–55%. The findings suggest that the brassica species investigated in the present study could be effective in reducing the inoculum of F. graminearum in soil prior to cereal production.

Summary: Brassica plants naturally produce glucosinolates as secondary metabolites hydrolysed to biocidal isothiocyanates (ITCs). As such, they have the potential for nematode management through a strategy known as biofumigation. Pratylenchus penetrans causes significant yield losses in many important crops. Understanding the relative impact of different ITCs on the motility and mortality of this nematode species could provide some insights into the selection of relevant brassica biofumigants. The effects of 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, and 50 μg ml⁻¹ of pure Allyl, 2-Phenylethyl and Benzyl ITCs on the motility and mortality of P. penetrans were evaluated in laboratory in vitro assays. Motility was assessed after incubating the nematodes in ITCs for 24, 48 and 72 h with distilled water as a negative control. Motile and non-motile nematodes were counted. After motility assessment at 72 h, nematodes were rinsed and incubated in water for 48 h, after which live and dead nematodes were counted. Nematodes were considered dead if they remained non-motile after probing with a picking needle. Nematode motility and mortality were significantly affected by the type of ITC, concentration and time of exposure. The number of non-motile nematodes increased with increasing concentration and time of exposure across all tested ITCs. The ED₅₀ values (concentration required to cause 50% non-motility) of Allyl, 2-Phenylethyl and Benzyl were 37.4, 12.8 and 8.6 μg ml⁻¹ after 24 h exposure. The ITC with potentially the greatest nematicidal effect was Benzyl (LD₅₀ = 3.2 μg ml⁻¹), followed by 2-Phenylethyl (LD₅₀ = 5.2 μg ml⁻¹), and Allyl (LD₅₀ = 9.9 μg ml⁻¹). The LD₅₀ of all ITCs were not different from the ED₅₀ after 72 h, meaning the effects of ITCs could be considered irreversible. This study suggests that brassica biofumigants that produce Benzyl, Allyl and 2-Phenylethyl ITCs are promising candidates for biofumigation of P. penetrans.

Exploitation of heterogenous distributions of Deroceras reticulatum, in arable fields by targeting molluscicide applications toward areas with higher slug densities, relies on these patches displaying sufficient spatio-temporal stability. Regular sampling of slug activity/distribution was undertaken using 1 ha rectangular grids of 100 refuge traps established in 22 commercial arable field crops. Activity varied significantly between the three years of the study, and the degree of aggregation (Taylor’s Power Law) was higher in fields with higher mean trap catches. Hot spot analysis detected statistically significant spatial clusters in all fields, and in 162 of the 167 individual assessment visits. The five assessment visits in which no clusters were detected coincided with low slug activity (≤0.07 per trap). Generalized Linear Models showed significant spatial stability of patches in 11 fields, with non-significant fields also characterized by low slug activity (≤1.2 per trap). Mantel’s permutation tests revealed a high degree of correlation between location of individual patches between sampling dates. It was concluded that patches of higher slug density were spatio-temporally stable, but detection using surface refuge traps (which rely on slug activity on the soil surface) was less reliable when adverse environmental conditions resulted in slugs retreating into the upper soil horizons.