NextGenBioPest in the Field: University of Catania Hosts Demoday on Functional Biodiversity and Sustainable Pest Management

On April 17th, 2026, our partner University of Catania (UNICT) organised a highly engaging field demoday at Marina di Ragusa, Italy, under the theme "Biodiversità Funzionale e Nuovi Approcci per la Gestione dei Fitofagi in Coltura Protetta" (Functional Biodiversity and New Approaches for the Management of Pests in Protected Cultivation).

The event brought together students, agronomists and technicians, farmers, industry representatives, and the research community for a hands-on day in the experimental fields — combining field visits, scientific presentations, and open dialogue around some of the most pressing challenges in sustainable crop protection.

Science Where It Matters Most — in the Field

The demoday centred on a visit to UNICT's experimental fields, offering participants the rare opportunity to see sustainable pest management research in action, outside the laboratory and in a real agricultural setting. Field demonstrations like this are invaluable: they bridge the gap between scientific innovation and practical application, allowing farmers and technicians to observe, question, and engage with the research in a tangible way.

The programme featured talks by visiting professors, PhD students, and UNICT post-doctoral fellows hired within NextGenBioPest — a direct illustration of how the project is not only generating scientific knowledge but also building the next generation of researchers and experts in sustainable agriculture.

Presentations focused on the development of sustainable plant protection strategies, with a particular emphasis on difficult-to-manage and invasive pest species — precisely the category of hard-to-control threats that NextGenBioPest was designed to tackle.

Addressing the Challenge of Invasive and Hard-to-Manage Pests

Protected cultivation — the system of greenhouses and controlled environments used to grow fruits and vegetables year-round — creates specific and often severe pest pressure, with certain invasive species proving highly resistant to conventional management approaches. The demoday addressed these challenges head-on, presenting the latest research on biological control agents, novel integrated pest management strategies, and eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic pesticides.

For farmers and technicians in the audience, this was a direct and practical engagement with solutions that could transform the way they approach pest control on their farms — reducing costs, environmental impact, and dependence on chemical inputs, while maintaining effective protection of their crops.

Building Awareness from the Ground Up

The choice of Marina di Ragusa — a key agricultural area in southern Sicily — was deliberate and meaningful. By bringing the event directly to a farming community with strong ties to protected cultivation, UNICT ensured that the knowledge and innovations developed within NextGenBioPest reached the audiences who stand to benefit most.

The participation of industry partners alongside researchers and citizens reflects the inclusive, multi-actor spirit of NextGenBioPest — and demonstrates how science communication, when done well, can spark real conversations about the future of farming.

We congratulate the University of Catania team for organising such an impactful and well-rounded event, and extend our thanks to all the visiting professors, PhD students, and post-doctoral researchers who contributed to making this demoday a success.