Lisbon December 11, 2023 – Over three days, at the end of November, 100 participants gathered in Lisbon to discuss the challenges facing the stone pine sector, particularly in the management of stands, phytosanitary problems, national and international markets.
In terms of silviculture, the positive impact of mixed stands on the growth of stone pine and the importance of thinning and the age structure of stands on the regeneration capacity was evident, namely, the opening of clearings in adult stands to enhance the establishment of new plants.
The genetic diversity of stone pine was also a topic; ensuring genetic variability is essential to
guarantee the sustainability of the stone pine forest.
The set of biotic agents that currently affect the stone pine is quite extensive, probably due to the climate context and globalization. Eradication in a forest context is not a plausible scenario, and in most situations, what occurs is damage control, when possible, and not eradication of the pest. Particular attention shall be paid to an emerging pest in Italy, Toumeyella parvicornis, which has also been detected in isolated populations in Spain.
In national and international dried fruit markets, pine nuts represent just 1%, in a market that is dominated by China, where pine nuts origin is a species distinct from stone pine.
Certification mechanisms are needed to differentiate Mediterranean pine nuts from other pine nuts sold by China and Russia, especially because the nutritional properties of Mediterranean pine nuts are superior to other pine nuts.
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