Due to the seasonality of the phenology of pest populations, many activities of the Horizon 2020 FF-IPM project (Fruit Fly Integrated Pest Management) and especially the field tasks were affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Likewise, laboratory work for some of their partners was suspended for a few months.
The FF-IPM Executive Board developed a thorough monitoring and contingency plan considering possible extension of specific actions. Based on this plan, activities were rescheduled and/or shifted in other regions that were not affected as much by the pandemic, working with extra caution. Furthermore, meetings and workshops were held digitally in a regular manner. FF-IPM’s researchers managed to produce high-quality results despite the obstacles. Find out more about the project here.