Notwithstanding nematology is a rather new science, in Italy the first observations and publications on nematodes date back to several centuries ago and are from physicians and botanists. Among them are U. Aldrovandi (1522-1605), who was the first in the word to observe nematodes in insects, and F. Redi, who published in 1684 his observations about "living animals occurring in living animals". However, the first observations on plant parasitic nematodes were made from the second half of 1800 to early 1900. They refer to Anguina tritici in wheat kernels (1867), Meloidogyne spp. (1875-1904) on several host plants, Ditylenchus dipsaci (1897) in oats. The sugar beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii, was reported in 1931 and the citrus nematode, Tylenchulus semipenetrans, in 1940. The turning point in Italian plant nematology occurred during 1950-1970, when investigations and control trials started on Xiphinema index, the natural vector of the Grape fan leaf virus. In the same period, the Phytosanitary Service of Pescara addressed much of his efforts on plant parasitic nematodes and the Section of Nematology is established at the Experimental Institute of Agricultural Zoology, of the Ministry of Agriculture, in Florence. Moreover, in 1970, the Italian National Research Councils founded in Bari the Laboratory (later Institute) of Agricultural Nematology Applied to Plants. Later on, nematology attracted also the interest of several other Phytosanitary Services, Universities and firms producing nematicides. While nematology was growing up, research objectives evolved from mainly faunistic and chemical control to many more to encompass all aspects of agricultural nematology and that for number and quality made Italian nematology one of the leading nematology at world level.
Sebbene la nematologia sia una scienza piuttosto recente, le prime osservazioni e pubblicazioni sui nematodi in Italia risalgono a diversi secoli fa, ad opera soprattutto di medici e botanici, tra i quali spiccano U. Aldrovandi (1522-1605), per essere stato il primo al mondo ad aver osservato un nematode degli insetti, e F. Redi per aver pubblicato nel 1684 le sue osservazioni intorno agli "animali viventi che si trovano negli animali viventi". Le prime segnalazioni di nematodi fitotparassiti risalgono alla metà del XIX secolo ed all'inizio del XX e riguardano Anguina tritici in cariossidi di grano (1867), Meloidogyne spp. (1875-1877, 1878, 1898, 1902, 1904) su diverse piante, Ditylenchus dipsaci (1897) su avena. Il nematode cisticolo della barbabietola da zucchero, Heterodera schachtii, sarà segnalato solo nel 1931 ed il nematode degli agrumi, Tylenchulus semipenetrans, nel 1940. La svolta della nematologia è avvenuta tra gli anni '50 e '70 del secolo scorso, quando iniziarono indagini e prove di lotta contro il nematode Xiphinema index, il vettore naturale del virus della degenerazione infettiva della vite (GFLV). Nello stesso periodo l'Osservatorio per le Malattie delle Piante di Pescara prende un indirizzo spiccatamente nematologico, a Firenze nel 1968, presso l'Istituto Sperimentale di Zoologia Agraria del MAF, viene costituita la Sezione di Nematologia e a Bari, dal CNR, viene fondato nel 1970, il Laboratorio (poi Istituto) di Nematologia Agraria Applicata ai Vegetali. Successivamente, la nematologia susciterà l'interesse degli osservatori fitopatologici, di alcune Università ed anche di case produttrici di fitofarmaci. Notevole è stata l'evoluzione dei temi di ricerca che da faunistiche e basate su prove di lotta chimica, hanno poi abbracciato diversi aspetti della nematologia agraria con indagini che per vastità e qualità di temi affrontati hanno portato la nematologia italiana all'apice di quella mondiale.
Hystory of nematology in Italy
Greco N;
2011
Abstract
Notwithstanding nematology is a rather new science, in Italy the first observations and publications on nematodes date back to several centuries ago and are from physicians and botanists. Among them are U. Aldrovandi (1522-1605), who was the first in the word to observe nematodes in insects, and F. Redi, who published in 1684 his observations about "living animals occurring in living animals". However, the first observations on plant parasitic nematodes were made from the second half of 1800 to early 1900. They refer to Anguina tritici in wheat kernels (1867), Meloidogyne spp. (1875-1904) on several host plants, Ditylenchus dipsaci (1897) in oats. The sugar beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii, was reported in 1931 and the citrus nematode, Tylenchulus semipenetrans, in 1940. The turning point in Italian plant nematology occurred during 1950-1970, when investigations and control trials started on Xiphinema index, the natural vector of the Grape fan leaf virus. In the same period, the Phytosanitary Service of Pescara addressed much of his efforts on plant parasitic nematodes and the Section of Nematology is established at the Experimental Institute of Agricultural Zoology, of the Ministry of Agriculture, in Florence. Moreover, in 1970, the Italian National Research Councils founded in Bari the Laboratory (later Institute) of Agricultural Nematology Applied to Plants. Later on, nematology attracted also the interest of several other Phytosanitary Services, Universities and firms producing nematicides. While nematology was growing up, research objectives evolved from mainly faunistic and chemical control to many more to encompass all aspects of agricultural nematology and that for number and quality made Italian nematology one of the leading nematology at world level.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
