Periodic Reporting for period 2 - IPM-Popillia (Integrated Pest Management of the invasive Japanese Beetle, Popillia japonica)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-03-01 bis 2023-08-31
The recent invasion of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, into continental Europe threatens the entire agricultural sector, as well as the biodiversity in the invaded area. A thorough review in the course of the project revealed that there are more than 400 host plants of Japanese beetles known worldwide. These include many important crops, like wine, fruit trees, soft berries, maize and soybean. IPM-Popillia aims at confining the spread of the new pest, and preventing the build-up of high population densities that cause economic loss to agricultural crops and increase migration pressure of the Japanese beetles. The objectives of the project IPM-Popillia are grouped in four overarching aims:
1. Identifying the Japanese beetles’ pathways of entry and spread.
This includes the development of fast and reliable monitoring tools, risk estimation for the invasion on regional level, and the provision of an optimal surveillance strategy for Europe. Objectives also comprise support to EU policy in the management of high priority pests in general, and raising public awareness for invasive pest species via citizen science tools.
2. Understanding the drivers of Japanese beetles’ population development
This includes our efforts to characterize abiotic factors and identify the most relevant groups of organisms associated with P. japonica in infested and non-infested areas of the same region, and to understand the underlying processes that lead to pest establishment or failure of establishment.
3. Providing an IPM Toolbox for Japanese beetle control
The objectives of this work package are to develop a range of sustainable control options of larvae and of adults of the Japanese beetle, with a focus on biocontrol and on IPM. We evaluate the potential of entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes against P. japonica larvae in soil. This includes treatments of potted plants, that are a risk for unintended spread of preimaginal stages of P. japonica in the substrate. Against adults in crops, we investigate innovative approaches like attract-and kill and attract-and-infest strategies, and low risk spray applications. A set of tools appropriate to control the invasive pest on sites with low and high pest abundance, respectively, will be the outcome of this work package.
4. Developing sustainable Japanese Beetle management in Europe
The economic and socioeconomic impacts of the P. japonica invasion, and the feasibility of implementing the control measures developed in the frame of the project are investigated. A synthesis of the results from the WPs 1 – 3, together with the economic analyses, will finally lead to customized information and policy advice for a sustainable Japanese beetle management in Europe.
1. Identifying the Japanese beetles’ pathways of entry and spread.
This includes the development of fast and reliable monitoring tools, risk estimation for the invasion on regional level, and the provision of an optimal surveillance strategy for Europe. Objectives also comprise support to EU policy in the management of high priority pests in general, and raising public awareness for invasive pest species via citizen science tools.
2. Understanding the drivers of Japanese beetles’ population development
This includes our efforts to characterize abiotic factors and identify the most relevant groups of organisms associated with P. japonica in infested and non-infested areas of the same region, and to understand the underlying processes that lead to pest establishment or failure of establishment.
3. Providing an IPM Toolbox for Japanese beetle control
The objectives of this work package are to develop a range of sustainable control options of larvae and of adults of the Japanese beetle, with a focus on biocontrol and on IPM. We evaluate the potential of entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes against P. japonica larvae in soil. This includes treatments of potted plants, that are a risk for unintended spread of preimaginal stages of P. japonica in the substrate. Against adults in crops, we investigate innovative approaches like attract-and kill and attract-and-infest strategies, and low risk spray applications. A set of tools appropriate to control the invasive pest on sites with low and high pest abundance, respectively, will be the outcome of this work package.
4. Developing sustainable Japanese Beetle management in Europe
The economic and socioeconomic impacts of the P. japonica invasion, and the feasibility of implementing the control measures developed in the frame of the project are investigated. A synthesis of the results from the WPs 1 – 3, together with the economic analyses, will finally lead to customized information and policy advice for a sustainable Japanese beetle management in Europe.
Within WP1,
• An innovative, remotely controlled monitoring trap prototype was designed, and tested at several locations in the Piedmont and the Ticino region. AI developments are in progress to reach automated insect determination at least on Genus-level
• The IPM-Popilla Citizen Science App was released and enables immediate upload of beetle sightings; regional plant health authorities are automatically alerted, provided that a P. japonica sighting has been confirmed by a specialist from the consortium.
• A risk map for P. japonica spread in Europe has been produced, based on P. japonica occurrence data, a large set of habitat suitability predictors (including climate, land uses, soil typology and topography, etc.) and connectivity to the infested zone
• The worldwide colonization route of P. japonica has been reconstructed, based on microsatellites and mitochondrial haplotypes.
Within WP2,
• the assembly of the P. japonica genome was computed.
• Sites with heavy and with low population densities of P. japonica within the same region have been investigated, and the influence of abiotic parameters as well as the soil microbiome and selected arthropods have been investigated. Some of these parameters correlate with P. japonica population density.
New candidate biocontrol agents have been identified, e.g. the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria pseudobassiana, which seems to be better adapted to above ground environmental conditions. The latter may come in handy for biocontrol of adult beetles in crop canopies.
Within WP3,
• Strains of entomopathogenic nematodes as natural antagonists of P. japonica larvae have been isolated and tested, and have reached efficacy levels of up to 90%
• Attract-and-kill devices with LLINs (long-lasting insecticide-treated nets) have been tested successfully and are already used in practice for the containment of outbreak populations with low to medium population densities.
• Horizontal transmission of fungal spores between infested and healthy P. japonica adults has been proved in the lab, and is currently being tested in an attract-add-infest approach as part of the control strategy against adult beetles in the field.
Within WP4,
• The project’s website has been designed and launched in the internet. Furthermore, social media activities have started, and web content has been created for extended outreach to users (e.g. an easy-to-use identification key for P. japonica and its closest relatives)
• A survey on the economic losses of the P. japonica invasion, and the willingness to pay for biological control of the invasive pest has been carried out.
• Meanwhile, project dissemination activities include an array of scientific publications, alongside with dedicated Popillia sessions organized by the consortium on international meetings. In addition, the team offered practice trainings and published newspaper articles.
• An innovative, remotely controlled monitoring trap prototype was designed, and tested at several locations in the Piedmont and the Ticino region. AI developments are in progress to reach automated insect determination at least on Genus-level
• The IPM-Popilla Citizen Science App was released and enables immediate upload of beetle sightings; regional plant health authorities are automatically alerted, provided that a P. japonica sighting has been confirmed by a specialist from the consortium.
• A risk map for P. japonica spread in Europe has been produced, based on P. japonica occurrence data, a large set of habitat suitability predictors (including climate, land uses, soil typology and topography, etc.) and connectivity to the infested zone
• The worldwide colonization route of P. japonica has been reconstructed, based on microsatellites and mitochondrial haplotypes.
Within WP2,
• the assembly of the P. japonica genome was computed.
• Sites with heavy and with low population densities of P. japonica within the same region have been investigated, and the influence of abiotic parameters as well as the soil microbiome and selected arthropods have been investigated. Some of these parameters correlate with P. japonica population density.
New candidate biocontrol agents have been identified, e.g. the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria pseudobassiana, which seems to be better adapted to above ground environmental conditions. The latter may come in handy for biocontrol of adult beetles in crop canopies.
Within WP3,
• Strains of entomopathogenic nematodes as natural antagonists of P. japonica larvae have been isolated and tested, and have reached efficacy levels of up to 90%
• Attract-and-kill devices with LLINs (long-lasting insecticide-treated nets) have been tested successfully and are already used in practice for the containment of outbreak populations with low to medium population densities.
• Horizontal transmission of fungal spores between infested and healthy P. japonica adults has been proved in the lab, and is currently being tested in an attract-add-infest approach as part of the control strategy against adult beetles in the field.
Within WP4,
• The project’s website has been designed and launched in the internet. Furthermore, social media activities have started, and web content has been created for extended outreach to users (e.g. an easy-to-use identification key for P. japonica and its closest relatives)
• A survey on the economic losses of the P. japonica invasion, and the willingness to pay for biological control of the invasive pest has been carried out.
• Meanwhile, project dissemination activities include an array of scientific publications, alongside with dedicated Popillia sessions organized by the consortium on international meetings. In addition, the team offered practice trainings and published newspaper articles.
The most important advance beyond the state-of-the-art is that our IPM-Toolbox for the control of P. japonica relies exclusively on environmentally friendly control measures. These are either biocontrol methods or IPM approaches with low environmental impact. If pesticide input is unavoidable (e.g. in vineyards of highly infested areas), we show ways of how to reduce pesticide input by combining the latter with biological or biotechnical measures. The ambition of IPM-Popillia is to show that successful control of the new pest, and meeting the requirements of quarantine regulations, must not contrast with respecting the environment and the principles of sustainability.
A decisive factor in controlling a new pest is fast and reliable detection of its first incidence in so far pest-free areas. Such incidences will be inevitable in the upcoming years, and IPM-Popillia provides the necessary innovations to enhance reliability and responsiveness of monitoring. As an example, risk mapping developed in the frame of the project predicted the region of Zurich as highly susceptible for a Japanese beetle outbreak, and the first population of P. japonica found north of the alps has definitely been found in Zurich.
IPM strategies are per se innovative as they take into consideration the complexity of biotic and environmental factors affecting a pest species. IPM-Popillia introduces a further layer of complexity in IPM studies, by performing in depth molecular genetic analyses of the interactions among the pest insect, applied biocontrol organisms, as well as soil microorganisms and arthropods. These interactions are decisive for success or failure of the establishment of the pest and biocontrol organisms.
A decisive factor in controlling a new pest is fast and reliable detection of its first incidence in so far pest-free areas. Such incidences will be inevitable in the upcoming years, and IPM-Popillia provides the necessary innovations to enhance reliability and responsiveness of monitoring. As an example, risk mapping developed in the frame of the project predicted the region of Zurich as highly susceptible for a Japanese beetle outbreak, and the first population of P. japonica found north of the alps has definitely been found in Zurich.
IPM strategies are per se innovative as they take into consideration the complexity of biotic and environmental factors affecting a pest species. IPM-Popillia introduces a further layer of complexity in IPM studies, by performing in depth molecular genetic analyses of the interactions among the pest insect, applied biocontrol organisms, as well as soil microorganisms and arthropods. These interactions are decisive for success or failure of the establishment of the pest and biocontrol organisms.