“Plant health is the foundation of food security and is interconnected with human, animal, and environmental health. Healthy plants provide higher yields and nutrient-rich diets for both humans and animals, and they help foster a balanced ecosystem.” With this statement, the FAO reaffirms the celebration of the International Day of Plant Health (May 12), due to its enormous relevance for the well-being of humanity, with agricultural production as one of its central pillars. in Spanish
A wide variety of factors limit and jeopardize plant resources, affecting food supply and weakening the economies of producing countries. According to the FAO, agricultural pests include any species, strain, or biotype of plant or animal, or any pathogenic agent that is harmful to plants or plant products. Recent estimates indicate that globally, agricultural pests can cause more than 30% in losses, with an upward trend due to the effects of climate change. In addition, various abiotic factors, such as droughts or temperature shocks, can also lead to production and economic losses. These threats have posed challenges since the dawn of agriculture. Since the early 20th century, organized societies have relied on their Science and Technology systems to address such threats.
INTA has a longstanding history in generating technologies to support plant health. Among many notable examples are the development of pest- and abiotic stress-tolerant crop varieties; predictive models for diseases and weed emergence; biological control using predatory and parasitic arthropods; the development of bio-inputs with diverse beneficial effects; diagnosis of crop diseases; evaluation and validation of tools for export protocols; knowledge and technologies for phytosanitary surveillance in the face of quarantine threats; protocols for the production of pathogen-free horticultural and fruit crops; genetic and molecular studies enabling advanced biotechnological developments; and the design and implementation of monitoring networks and decision-making protocols for crop management.
Working in coordination with other institutions in the national Science and Technology system—especially CONICET, universities, SENASA—as well as with the private sector, INTA validates, adapts, improves, and channels its contributions to solve plant health problems. These knowledge products and technological developments, along with those generated by other institutions and entities, represent an asset that society builds through an integrated science and technology system, in which it places its trust and expectations. Trust lies in the strength of Argentine scientific output, and expectations stem from the aspiration for further development that incorporates social, economic, and environmental dimensions.
Nonetheless, especially in pressing circumstances, dilemmas may arise regarding the State’s investment priorities. The best decisions are made when the most complete information is available. The tangible contribution of scientific knowledge to development and societal well-being is not always immediately evident. Particularly when the horizon of phytosanitary threats, conflicts, or impacts—whether due to pest resurgence, collapse of a technological package, or biological invasions—is distant or unclear, there is a tendency to undervalue investment in science and technology in that direction. A globally emblematic example of the value of timely and strategic investment in building scientific and technical capacities is the case of the desert locust, which gave rise to the well-known maxim: “One dollar invested today saves a thousand tomorrow.”
Today, it is especially relevant to reflect on the concrete value of scientific knowledge. A clear example is the recent corn stunt disease epidemic, whose management relied on decades of cooperation among INTA, CONICET, and universities, integrating expertise in fields such as plant pathology, entomology, and meteorology. Likewise, the opening of international markets—such as the access of Argentine citrus to Europe—has been made possible by national protocols for the management of citrus canker. In turn, the development of the “MRCV-nanokit,” based on nanobodies to detect Maize Río Cuarto Virus (MRCV)—a unique tool globally—demonstrates the potential of basic research combined with technological innovation. Finally, the permanent connection between science and the field—through direct work with producers and rural extension—strengthens the contribution of science and technology institutions to the competitiveness, sustainability, and development of the agricultural sector.
Examples like these abound in INTA’s track record of achievements, often in collaboration with other actors. This highlights another major institutional asset: the willingness and capacity to take a leading role in inter-institutional spaces for the co-development of solutions to plant health problems. This science and technology system is sustained by investment in institutions that safeguard scientific and technological sovereignty.
Critical situations often constrain the application of strategic criteria in making public policy decisions for science and technology. However, it is worth noting that today—thanks to past investment in science and technology—this system possesses the diversity of scientific and technical capacities necessary to address current and future challenges in plant health. Even in times of crisis, a strategic outlook must prevail to strengthen the role of knowledge and innovation. The International Day of Plant Health invites us to reflect in that direction.
