The proposal targets a quarantine plant pathogen, Xylella fastidiosa, a xylem-associated bacterium that is causing significant (socio)economic and environmental losses to European (including Spanish) agriculture and forestry, trade, and the environment. 

X. fastidiosa has been identified as a major transboundary plant pest, posing a serious threat to food security and the environment worldwide. Thus, X. fastidiosawas ranked first in the priority list of pests in the EU for different environmental impact indicators that included the evaluation of impacts on street trees, parks and natural and planted areas; undesired impacts of control measures on the environment; and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

This is a two- year’s proposal started in December 2022 and will end in  november 2024 and is financed by Unión Europea- NextGeneration EU/PRTR .The overall aim of the present Project is to develop interdisciplinary, translational approaches to provide novel innovative biological tools to reduce the ecological impact of control measures and restore X. fastidiosa threatened agricultural and natural ecosystems.  This approach will consider the genetic diversity present in the EU areas where X. fastidiosa is established (subsp. fastidiosa ST1, multiplex ST6, ST7 and ST81 and subsp. pauca ST53 and ST80).

To achieve the objectives, an interdisciplinary research consortium will join to develop innovative biological tools that can be used at a later stage, to implement tailored IPM programs for mitigating X. fastidiosa impact in the EU, particularly in Spain, and help to restore the biodiversity of affected agricultural and natural ecosystems in line with the EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategies.