Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP)

Expertise

IPSP interests include: identification and characterization of plant pathogens and pests, and development of sustainable strategies for their control; plant interactions with other organisms and the environment; biodiversity of the microrganisms that support and protect plants; development of products and processes for the early identification of pests, natural antagonists and symbiotic microrganisms.
IPSP scientists include experts in most areas of plant protection such as entomology, virology, Nematologists, mycology, abiotic stress, physiology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, electron microscopy, microbiology, botany.
Each IPSP unit is focused on specific target organisms or stress and specific expertise:
the Torino Headquarters on viruses and virus-like organisms (vegetables, ornamentals and grapevine)
the Firenze unit on pathogens and abiotic stress of forest trees (cypress, elm, oak, ash, chestnut)
the Portici unit on insects (parasitoids and predators) and pathogens (entomopathogenic fungi) for biological control
the Bari unit on nematodes, viruses and bacteria (Mediterranean crops)
the Torino unit on soil fungi, in particular the mycorrhizal ones, in natural and agricultural ecosystems.