On 7 November, the Horizon 2020 VIRTIGATION project will organise its final event to present its results achieved in tackling emerging plant viruses in tomato & cucurbit crops.
Date: 7th of November 2025
Location: Irish College Leuven, Belgium
VIRTIGATION Final Event: Pioneering advancements achieved in horticultural crop protection
The final scientific symposium of the VIRTIGATION project will take place on 7 November 2025, from 09:30 to 18:00. Hosted by VIRTIGATION coordinator KU Leuven, this event will highlight the pioneering advancements achieved by the project in horticultural crop protection of tomatoes and cucurbits from emerging plant viruses such as the whitefly-transmitted Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus (ToLCNDV) and the mechanically transmitted Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV).
This engaging full-day conference will firstly feature a series of keynote speeches by plant health policymakers and scientific experts, who will provide their views on the prospects of existing and emerging plant viruses affecting tomatoes and cucurbits in the EU.
Following the keynote speeches and a lunch break featuring a poster exhibition by young VIRTIGATION scienstis, VIRTIGATION partners will present key project results in the following thematic areas:
- Breeding for ToBRFV and whitefly resistance.
- Sanitation for ToBRFV control.
- Cross-protection and whitefly biocontrol.
- Diagnostics of plant viruses.
Moreover, keynote speakers and VIRTIGATION experts will then debate the way forward for horticultural crop protection from plant viruses in the EU. Finally, the project’s event will then conclude with an evening reception, providing opportunity for attendees to foster new collaborations and partnerships within the VIRTIGATION plant health community.
VIRTIGATION: Protecting tomato and cucurbit crops from emerging plant viruses
VIRTIGATION, a project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 program, is at the forefront of protecting tomato and cucurbit crops from emerging plant viruses. This project aimed to develop a set of bio-based remedies to safeguard tomato and cucurbit from these devastating viruses. During its lifetime, the project sought to demonstrate several innovative solutions, including biopesticide formulations against virus vectors and new Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.
We warmly invite all plant health professionals, from growers, researchers, extension services to policymakers, to join us in Leuven for this key event celebrating the achievements of VIRTIGATION. Stay tuned for further updates on the VIRTIGATION website, and register through the QR code in the image above by 30 September!