The chestnut blight(C. parasitica), originally from East Asia, was introduced to the USA at the beginning of the 20th century and almost completely destroyed the American chestnut forests there. The fungus was first detected in Europe in 1938 and spread rapidly, including in Austria.

Sweet chestnut cultivation has increased significantly in Austria in recent years, with around 200 hectares of sweet chestnut plantations now being cultivated. Chestnut blight is a major challenge, as it can cause crop losses of up to 90 % in intensive agricultural systems. The fungus penetrates the plant tissue of the trees via wounds, impairs the transport of water and nutrients and leads to the death of the branches or the entire tree. Despite various preventive measures, the infestation is difficult to prevent as the spores are spread by wind, birds and infected wood. There are no effective control measures, and existing methods such as hypovirulence paste are expensive or currently not available in Austria.

The EIP-AGRI project CASTANEA aims to develop measures to reduce damage, in particular through the use of Trichoderma spp. as a biological antagonist. AGES is part of the operational group in the project and carries out controlled trial activities in the greenhouse and laboratory tests to test the effectiveness of Trichoderma spp. and find sustainable solutions.