Un progetto per un Eucalyptus sentinel garden nella rete internazionale IPSN (International Plant Sentinel Network)

The sentinel garden is an increasingly widespread strategy tool for early identification of plant pests before they spread becominga risk to other species of major economic interest. Moreover, the use of sentinel gardens can strengthen and improve pest riskanalysis by reporting little-known invasive organisms and revealing numerous new host plant-phytophagous associations. Theincrease in the number of alien insects on Eucalyptussp.pl. has been among the highest in Europe and worldwide, and thequarantine protocols have proved ineffective in limiting the spread of invasive insects. Sentinel Eucalyptus plants are therefore asuitable option for early warning of new introductions prior to their spread. During 2019, seeds of 50 Eucalyptusspecies (the mostcommon in the Mediterranean area) were acquired from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation -Australian Tree Seed Center (CSIRO-ATSC) and planted in greenhouses at the Fo.Re.S.T.A.S. Regional Agency nursery inCampulongu (OR). An area of about 4 hectares was allocated with the aim to establish in 2020 the sentinel garden, which hasalready joined the International Plant Sentinel Network (IPSN).