HOMED’s overarching goal is to develop a comprehensive panel of scientific knowledge and practical solutions for the management of emerging native and non-native pests and pathogens (PnPs) threatening European forests. This comprehensive panel must consider the full pathway of PnPs invasion management – from assessment to control. An important step in this process is the creation of tools for rapid early detection, which allow stakeholders to stop an invasion before it even starts.

In this context, project partners IEFC (Institut Européen De La Forêt Cultivée) and INRAE (France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment) are organising a demonstration workshop on 29 June 2022 in Bayonne (France), dedicated to presenting the latest tools for early detection of tree pests in high-risk sites like international ports.

During the workshop, researchers will present the following forest pests trapping prototypes:

• Multi-lure generic beetle trap: by targeting multiple species of diverse taxa simultaneously, this prototype, developed by INRAE, could help anticipate a wider range of unregulated species and to limit cost with a reduced number of traps within each site;

• Light trap for containers: this trap model, developed by UNIPD, is simple to use, easily manageable, and aims at detecting insect alien species inside shipping containers during cargo travel;

• Intelligent cross-vane trap: this trap, developed by the SAMFIX project, allows for the mass capture of all bark and wood-breeding bark beetles, metallic wood-boring beetles and longhorn beetles.

Additionally, workshop organisers will present the Sentinel planting concept through a dedicated visit to an arboretum from the REINFFORCE European network.

This workshop is open to all, but it specifically targets plant nurseries, plant health authorities/organisations, scientists and/or plant importers.

Register here.

If you have any questions, you can contact Benoît de Guerry at b.deguerry@iefc.net.