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The demand for forest seedlings shows a notable increase which reflects on the need for forest nurseries to produce in high numbers the main tree and shrub species that can be used not only for new plantings but also to increase the presence of green spaces in urban and peri-urban areas. In this context, great attention is necessary to the phytosanitary problems of forest nurseries both in terms of the availability of selected seed and in relation to the production and transport of nursery material free from attacks by biotic adversities. The stone pine is a conifer widely spread in our country where it contributes to forming coastal and hilly pine forests and characterizing the landscape of some of the main Italian cities. However, this conifer, like other Pinus species, is subject to infestations of harmful organisms/microorganisms which can compromise the success of new plantings, not only directly with a reduction in seed production, but also following blocks on the movement of seedlings from forest nurseries due to the development of outbreaks of alien phytophagous insects subject to specific regulations.
