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Unit Of Plant Pathology And Entomology

Goals and research directions:

  • Development of scientific and theoretical basis for economically sound and sustainable cultivation technologies by researching the occurrence and prevalence of pathogens and pests of horticultural crops in Latvia, their development characteristics, diversity, biology, ecology and interaction with hosts.
  • Development of theoretical and methodical basis for establishment of certified planting material system for fruit crops in Latvia by testing the propagation material, virus elimination, establishment and maintenance of nuclear stock collections.
  • Diagnostics of pathogens and pests of fruit crops.
  • Maintenance of the collection and characterization of fungi and bacteria pathogenic to horticultural crops.

Scientific staff:

 Inga Moročko-Bičevska, Ph.D., head of unit, leading researcher (plant pathology, mycology)

 Arturs Stalažs, Dr. Agr., researcher (entomology)

 Neda Zuļģe, M. Biol., researcher (virology, planting material rehabilitation)

 Olga Sokolova, M. Agr., researcher (mycology)

 Dmitrijs Konavko, M. Agr., assistant (plant pathology, bacteriology)

 Māris Jundzis, Bsc. Ing., assistant (plant pathology, bacteriology)

 Kristīne Drevinska, M. Agr., research assistant, PhD student (plant pathology, planting material rehabilitation)

Current projects:

  • Project of the Latvia Council of Science No. lzp-2019/1-0094 "Application of deep learning and datamining for the study of plant-pathogen interaction: the case of apple and pear scab" (2020 - 2022)
  • State Research Programme "AgroBioRes" 2nd project "Biological processes influencing sustainable fruit growing and widening possibilities for use of by-products" (2014 - 2017) (project leader I. Moročko-Bičevska).
  • A global network of researchers and scientific institutions "Monitoring of Venturia inaequalis virulence's" and differential genotype collection creation of V. inaequalis race and long-term monitoring of race development. (2012 - indefinite) (project leader in Latvia I. Moročko-Bičevska). http://www.vinquest.ch/monitoring/current_member.htm
  • Ministry of Agriculture project No. 070515/S2S "Examination of perspective berry cultivars for integrated cultivation in different climatic regions of Latvia, as well as development and improvement of cultivation technologies" (project leader S. Strautiņa).

Collaboration: