April 15, 2025
ALSAT (SAT Fruta de Alcarràs) and ACTEL SCCL, with the participation of the Institute of Agri-Food Research and Technology (IRTA), are working on the ESTEMPERA Operational Group project.
Brown spot of pear (Pyrus communis L.) is a disease caused by the fungus Stemphylium vesicarium. This disease is among the most important diseases of pear trees, as it directly affects the quality and yield of the crop and has a great economic impact on pear growers, causing high overall losses. Symptoms of the disease consist of necrotic lesions on leaves, stems, shoots and fruit.
Currently, there are difficulties in controlling the disease in spite of efforts. Despite significant efforts by different sectors of agriculture, control of S. vesicarium remains a complex challenge. The lack of comprehensive knowledge about the biology and ecology of the fungus, together with the difficulty in accurately predicting disease outbreaks, makes it difficult to implement effective control measures. At the same time, in the current context, where the reduction in the use of pesticides will be an imposition in the short term as contemplated in the ‘Green Deal’ of the European Commission and with the definition of the ‘Farm to fork’ strategy, where a significant reduction in the use of chemical pesticides, fertilisers and antibiotics is proposed to control the disease effectively while achieving a significant reduction in the number of phytosanitary treatments.
The overall objective of this innovative pilot project is to define a comprehensive strategy for the sustainable control of Pear Stamphyliosis that includes inoculum management, the use of low impact products and treatment guidance with a risk prediction model.
