Objective
In the past few years the Western Corn Rootworm (WCR - Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) invaded central Europe more rapidly than expected in the past. Its rapid spread together with the establishment of continuous populations will evidently result in severe problems to European high intensity maize production areas throughout Europe.
Several research activities in the EU member states aimed at finding integrated strategies for reducing WCR populations below threshold levels in already infested areas and to avoid an introduction and spread in non-infested areas. There is an urgent need for harmonising and concentrating these activities both on a scientific and administrative level to establish a community-scale action and research plan. Thus the goal of DIABR-ACT is to establish a harmonised and sustainable control strategy for continuously established and discontinuously emerging WCR populations.
On the same time DIABR-ACT aims at minimizing the impact of these measures on biodiversity and environment. Control strategies to be established should be adapted to the situation of each country involved and should take into account the situation of the farmers and the economic chains build upon the maize crop (biological and integrated control, plant resistance traits, the adaptation of biotechnological approaches, cultural techniques..). DIABR-ACT will evaluate short and long term costs/benefits of containment and eradication strategies at the micro or macroeconomic level.
The outputs of DIABR-ACT will benefit the European Union by the following main results:
- An increased awareness and understanding of the problems caused by this pest species encountered by plants breeders, farmers, and plant protection services
- A coordinated European Action Plan: harmonising and improving control and prevention of Western Corn Rootworm populations in Europe.
- A coordinated European research plan: identifying the priority research areas and minimising parallel research
Fields of science
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureagronomyplant protection
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdatabases
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyentomology
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureagronomyplant breeding
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
FP6-2004-SSP-4
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Funding Scheme
SSA - Specific Support ActionCoordinator
PARIS
France