VIRTIGATION

Events

virtigation iapv25

8-11

April
2025

International Advances in Plant Virology 2025

From 8-11 April 2025, VIRTIGATION will co-host the prestigious International Advances in Plant Virology (IAPV) conference, taking place in Murcia, Spain. This flagship plant health event, organised by the Virology group of the renowned Association of Applied Biologists, will bring together leading plant virologists from across the globe to discuss the latest research advances in all aspects of plant virology.  VIRTIGATION will organise two sessions at the IAPV25 on protecting tomato and cucurbit crops in greenhouses from ToLCNDV and ToBRFV.

12-13

September
2024

VIRTIGATION at the Technology Talks Austria

On 12-13 September 2024, VIRTIGATION partner RTDS Group will present the latest advances of the VIRTIGATION project through an exhibition booth at Austria’s largest and most significant RTI conference. This event will also discuss the latest research & innovation advances at national and EU level, focusing in particular on the so-called “triple transition” (i.e. green, digital and human-centered).

Auditorium at UASB facilities

30

July
2024

Lecture & Hands on Training in novel plant pathogen detection methods

On 30 July 2024, VIRTIGATION partner NRI-UoG and international partner UASB are organising a lecture and hands on training for students in novel plant pathogen detection methods. This event will also discuss the latest research advances in VIRTIGATION, and further include the launch of a training manual and a VIRTIGATION flyer in Kannada.

28

June
2024

Online policy event on pesticide reduction in EU

On 28 June 2024, VIRTIGATION and other key EU-funded plant health projects are organising an online workshop on how to support the transition towards pesticide reduction across Europe. This event will discuss challenges in delivering IPM solutions for value chain actors, IPM research gaps to be addressed by EU institutions, and define how to ensure stronger policy momentum for pesticide reduction in Europe

Cafe technique APREL

20

June
2024

Café technique on ToLCNDV & ToBRFV

On 20 June 2024, VIRTIGATION partners APREL and INRAE gathered 55 French stakeholders, including advisers and extension services, private breeders, biological control firms, to share VIRTIGATION’s latest findings on ToLCNDV and ToBRFV. 

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VIRTIGATION annual meeting Catania

15

May
2024

VIRTIGATION annual meeting 2024

From 15-17 May 2024, VIRTIGATION partners gathered in Catania, Italy, for the third annual meeting. They analysed the progress made so far and planned the next research & innovation actions for the remaining year of the project.  

22

February
2024

VIRTIGATION Technical Session for Stakeholders - IPM strategies for virus control in greenhouses

On the 22nd of February 2024, the VIRTIGATION National Knowledge Broker for Spain, AGAPA, and partner TECNOVA are organising  a technical session for stakeholders in the key Spanish horticultural hub Almería. This session will present results of surveys carried out with farmers in Spain on the biorational control of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, as well as provide insights on the project’s ongoing tests of natural insecticide formulations for the control of whiteflies in the greenhouse. Furthermore, methods to optimise solarization assays for the eradication of tobamovirus outbreaks will be elaborated. The session will conclude with a field visit to TECNOVA’s experimental centre.  

21

February
2024

VIRTIGATION 2nd multi-actor workshop Belgium

On the 21st of February 2024, the VIRTIGATION National Knowledge Broker for Belgium, PCH, organised the second national multi-actor workshop. This workshop disseminated recent project results and insights on the silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci in particular. The national results of the survey on presence and control of B. tabaci were presented, complemented by an introduction to recent PCH trials where plant extracts were used as a control measure. More than 88 participants, including many growers, agro-industry, agri-research centers and policymakers joined this workshop. 

Download the VIRTIGATION presentation (in Dutch) in our Zenodo community

25

September
2023

VIRTIGATION 2nd multi-actor workshop Germany

On the 25th of September 2023, the VIRTIGATION National Knowledge Broker for Germany, JKI, organises the second multi-actor workshop for the country’s value chain actors. This practical workshop discusses the current state of knowledge on ToBRFV, and what is needed to tackle the pandemic caused by this plant virus in Germany. This event is taking place as an official side event to the 63rd German Plant Protection Conference, which is taking place in Göttingen, Germany.   

8

May
2023

VIRTIGATION annual meeting 2023

From 8-10 May 2023, VIRTIGATION partners gathered in Tel Aviv, Israel, for the second annual meeting. They took stock of progress made and planned the next research & innovation actions for the project.  

Example of viral disease caused by emerging ToBRFV

23

March
2023

VIRTIGATION 1st multi-actor workshop Germany

On the 23rd of March 2023, the VIRTIGATION National Partner for Germany, LNW, organised the first national multi-actor workshop. This workshop focused on the latest insights on ToBRFV for more than 50 local growers. 

2

March
2023

VIRTIGATION at the 55th DGG-BHGL conference

VIRTIGATION presentation by Bianca Boehnke from LNW to stakeholders at a German plant protection conference in Osnabrück, Germany.

28

February
2023

VIRTIGATION at PestNu online clustering event of EU-funded projects

On the 28th of February 2023, VIRTIGATION took part in an online clustering event organised by the Horizon 2020 PestNu project, which brought together Horizon 2020 and LIFE-funded projects to discuss common drivers and barriers to the adoption of IPM practices and biopesticides in the EU. VIRTIGATION coordinator KU Leuven presented the project, while KU Leuven and UNICT representatives took part in the technical roundtable with the other projects on these topics. 

20

February
2023

Impact of climate change on the Bemisia tabaci transmitted virus ToLCNDV

VIRTIGATION Poster presentation by researcher Matteo Ripamonti from LIST during the DGaaE Entomology Congress 2023 at the Free University of Bolzano, Italy. 

26

January
2023

VIRTIGATION 1st multi-actor workshop Belgium

On the 26th of January 2023, the VIRTIGATION National Knowledge Broker for Belgium, PCH, organised the first national multi-actor workshop. This workshop focused on the latest insights for IPM in tomato and bell pepper, as well as the newest ToBRFV research findings. More than 100 participants, including many growers, researchers, cooperatives, seed companies and other stakeholders joined the first multi-actor workshop of the project in Belgium. 

18

November
2022

VIRTIGATION at Network meeting of German growers

VIRTIGATION presentation by Bianca Boehnke from LNW to German tomato and cucurbit growers in Grefrath-Oedt, Germany. 

17

November
2022

VIRTIGATION at Meeting of German greenhouse growers

VIRTIGATION presentation by Bianca Boehnke from LNW to German vegetable greenhouse growers in Straelen, Germany. 

1

November
2022

Eggsplorer : A workflow to rapidly evaluate insect resistance based on oviposition

VIRTIGATION poster by WR scientists Lotte Caarls and Micha Gracianna Devi on the Eggsplorer whitefly counting software at the Solanaceae conference 2022 in Thessaloniki, Greece. 

5

June
2022

Early warning system and mitigation strategies for ToBRFV

VIRTIGATION Poster presentation by researchers from partners DCM and Scientia Terrae during the 15th International Symposium of Plant Virus Epidemiology in Madrid, Spain.

VIRTIGATION project meeting Almería

30

March
2022

VIRTIGATION Annual Meeting 2022

From 30 March to 1 April, VIRTIGATION partners gathered in Europe’s greenhouse capital Almería in Spain for the project’s annual meeting, in order to assess progress made and discuss with key local stakeholders their needs for the project’s research priorities. 

21

March
2022

VIRTIGATION - A Network fighting emerging viral diseases in plants

VIRTIGATION Poster by JKI scientists Mareike Rohde and Heiko Ziebell at the 54th Meeting of the German Working Group on Emerging Viral Diseases in Plants. 

23

September
2021

VIRTIGATION presentation at H2020 Cluster Meeting on Plant Health Projects

Coordinator Prof. Dr. Hervé Vanderschuren from KU Leuven presented VIRTIGATION at this gathering attended by 80 participants. This event also enabled to discuss potential  synergies between VIRTIGATION and other related H2020 projects tackling emerging threats to plant health. 

21-23

September
2021

VIRTIGATION presentation at 62nd Meeting of the Deutsche Pflanzenschutztagung

Marlene Leucker, Biologist from our partner LNW (Landwirtschaftskammer Nordrhein-Westfalen), presented the project in her talk on defeating ToBRFV in tomato farms in the German Land of Nordrhein-Westfalen. LNW played a key role in swiftly eradicating the ToBRFV outbreak in this region.