Designing sustainable energy policies has a strong impact on economy, society and environment. Beside a planning activity, policy makers are called to design a number of implementation instruments to enforce their plans. They encompass subsidies, fiscal incentives, feed in tariffs to name a few. Understanding the impact of these instruments on the energy market is essential to select the most efficient one. We propose in this paper a multi-agent simulator that mimics the adoption of photovoltaic as a consequence of a number of implementation instruments. The simulator mainly considers economic evaluations in the agent decision-making procedure, but we are aware also social aspects play an important role and they are subject of current research.

Results of comparative cultural, conidiophore and conidia morphology, growth–temperature, and pathogenicity studies proved that Geniculodendron pyriforme Salt is the imperfect state of Caloscypha fulgens (Pers.) Boudier. The results are discussed in relation to the etiology and ecology of the disease of conifer seeds caused by the fungus.

Survival of the balsam woolly aphid on Abies grandis logs was observed to evaluate the danger of spreading the pest while moving logs. Active stages of the aphid survived submergence in sea water for 7 days and periodic sprinkling with sea water for 3 weeks. Dormant stages survived submergence up to 28 days. Active aphids survived on logs in the forest as long as 5 months. Crawlers frequently re-established on logs and completed a second generation there. Dormant neosistentes on autumn-felled trees persisted over winter and resumed development in the spring. Recommendations for moving infested logs through uninfested areas are made.

Hormonema merioides n.sp. is described from needles of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) in British Columbia, Canada, where it is associated with a needle blight.

Experiments were conducted over a 3-year period (1982–1984) at a white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) seed orchard near Salmon Arm, British Columbia, to relate the control of inland spruce cone rust (Chrysomyxapirolata Wint.) by ferbam to the number of fungicide applications, basidiospore production, rainfall, and cone phenology. Either multiple or single applications of ferbam during the period starting about 1 week before and through the pollination period reduced the incidence of the disease by 5- to 10-fold without any reduction in seed yield per cone, although seed germination was reduced slightly.