The cochineal devours the pines of Rome: endotherapy and biological struggle to fight it

The cochineal devours the pines of Rome: endotherapy and biological struggle to fight it.

The cochineal devours the pines of Rome
Yes, because the parasite of North American origin has been literally devouring plants for a couple of years with consequent environmental, landscape and cultural damage. According to agronomists’ estimates, about 80% of the pines in Rome are affected : “50 thousand trees at risk” – recalled Gugliemo Calcerano, Roman spokesman for the Greens a few days ago.

But if the Campania region, the first Italian territory in which Toumeyella parvicornis made its appearance, has already issued a decree to face it since 2015 , Roma Capitale and the Lazio Region have remained to watch. Even today.

Pini di Roma, cochineal alarm: “80% of trees have already been hit”
Committees and associations against the pruning of the Municipality
Thus committees and associations took the field. “We must be aware that no one has the solution to the problem at the moment. Six years have been lost by the institutions in which the tortoiseshell cochineal has acquired an advantage that can be bridged only if one engages in an integrated struggle and if all the technical tools of scientific research, including genetic, arboriculture and biological fight in the awareness that they wrote on the sidelines of a meeting together with technicians and experts.