During the past month of April, Logroño hosted the centennial celebration of the first description of an entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema kraussei, by Gotthold Steiner in 1923. The event took place from April 10 to 12 at the Riojaforum and was coordinated by the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (CSIC-UR-GR). This event brought together over 90 researchers, technicians, students, and enterprise profesionals from 24 countries to highlight the knowledge acquired over the past decades, identify future challenges, and deepen international collaboration in the area of entomopathogenic nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria, both in fundamental research and its most applied aspects, with the support of industry professionals.
The congress was organized by researchers from ICVV-CSIC, the University of La Rioja, the Government of La Rioja, and the University of Barcelona, and included 15 international members in the scientific committee. During the congress, 32 oral presentations were given in 10 specialized symposia, along with 31 posters showcasing cutting-edge research, 15 flashes presentations, and four invited talks by pioneering researchers in this field: Ramon Georgis (USA), Noel Boemare (France), Raymond Akhurst (Australia), and Randy Gaugler (USA).
Additionally, on April 9, an outreach day was held for the wine sector under the title “Nematodes in Vineyards: Problems, Challenges, and Soil Health Bioindicators,” a topic addressed for the first time in La Rioja. This day featured six internationally renowned researchers specializing in the proposed vineyard health and sustainability topics.
Undoubtedly, both events were a magnificent opportunity to highlight this burgeoning area of research and to share the latest study results in the field of nematodes, particularly entomopathogenic nematodes, which are highly relevant in vineyards and agroecosystems for sustainable pest control.
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