3rd European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa and XF-ACTORS final meeting

Building knowledge, protecting plant health

900 people from more than 60 countries registered for the 3rd European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa and the final meeting of the XF-ACTORS project.

The event was held online from 26 April to 30 April 2021 and was organised by EFSA and XF-ACTORS with the active contribution of the major EU and transnational research initiatives tackling X. fastidiosa: BIOVEXO, CURE-XF, ERC MultiX, EUPHRESCO, EUROXANTH, and Life Resilience.

The overall objective of the conference was to take stock of the results from research that has taken place since X. fastidiosa was first detected in Europe in 2013.

The conference sessions gave an opportunity to present and discuss the latest findings, data and knowledge on X. fastidiosa as a pathosystem, including:

• Pathogen biology, ecology and genetics;
• Epidemiology and modelling of X. fastidiosa diseases;
• Host plant interactions and the search for resistant/tolerant germplasm;
• Surveillance and early detection tools;
• Vector biology and control;
• Endophytic microbial resources and their potential applications for X. fastidiosa control;
• Sustainable management strategies for prevention and reduction of the impact of X. fastidiosa diseases.

The programme included presentations and discussions on the above topics, followed by Q&A sessions. The latter resulted in an engaging dialogue among the participants, the speakers, as well as EFSA and XF-Actors staff.

The speakers’ presentations, the video recordings, the book of abstracts and the list of posters are available below.

XF-Actors Final Meeting, 26–28 April 2021

Monday, 26 April 2021

OPENING CEREMONY & SESSION 1 - Achieving practical outcomes from genetic and biological studies (video recording).

Anne Sicard: Introduction and adaptation of an emerging pathogen to olive trees in Italy

Enora Dupas: Probable dates and scenario of introduction of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex in France

Caroline Baroukh: Investigation of the metabolic network of Xylella fastidiosa responsible of its fastidious growth

Giusy D’Attoma: Unravelling distinctive features of Xylella fastidiosa strain ‘De Donno’

Helvecio Della Coletta-Filho: Artificial inoculation of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca strains in olive plants; an overview of greenhouse experiments

Annalisa Giampetruzzi: Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca and multiplex elicit differential responses in a susceptible olive cultivar

Maria Saponari: Estimating prevalence and population size of Xylella fastidiosa in olive cultivars with differential phenotypic responses to the bacterial infection

Pasquale Saldarelli: Xylella fastidiosa and olive interactions: the key role of the plant cell wall

Tuesday, 27 April 2021 

SESSION 2 - Vectors and control strategies (video recording).

Anna Markheiser: Feeding habits of Central European candidate vectors of Xylella fastidiosa on grapevine

Joao R. S. Lopes: Diversity of vectors and their role in the spread of Xylella fastidiosa in olive orchards of Southeastern Brazil

Domenico Bosco: New insights on Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca vector transmission to olive plants

Astrid Cruaud: On the importance of multidisciplinary studies on insect vectors to better understand vector-borne plant diseases

Vincenzo Cavalieri: Impact of low susceptible and resistant host plants on the transmission of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca ST53 by Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae)

Sabina Avosani: Vibrational-disruption of the feeding behavior of a plant pathogen vector

Marina Morente: Host plant selection by Philaenus spumarius: using ground covers as trap crops

Crescenza Dongiovanni: Defining a set of integrated tools recommended for IPM strategy to control spittlebugs

SESSION  3 - Control of the bacterium in the host plants (video recording). 

Maria L. Domingo-Calap: Isolation and characterization of bacteriophages against Xylella fastidiosa

Massimiliano Morelli: Exploring endophytic microbial communities to identify potential biocontrol agents against Xylella fastidiosa strain ‘De Donno’

Carmine Del Grosso: Screening of natural and eco-friendly compound for their antimicrobial activity against Xylella fastidiosa

Valeria Scala: Signals in pathogen and host sensing: free fatty acid and oxylipins

Wednesday, 28 April 2021 

SESSION  4 & CONCLUSIONS - Implementation and harmonization of diagnostic protocols, surveillance and modelling (video recording)

Tomás Poblete: Using hyperspectral imagery and a multi-stage machine learning algorithm to distinguish infection symptoms caused by two xylem-limited pathogens

Carlos Camino: Integrating an epidemic spread model with remote sensing for Xylella fastidiosa detection

Samuel Soubeyrand: Variations in winter temperatures over decades: the underside of a French Xylella fastidiosa story

Alexander Mastin: Improving early detection surveillance for Xylella fastidiosa in Apulia

Martina Cendoya: Effects of dispersal barriers in the demarcated area in Alicante, Spain, for Xylella fastidiosa. A non-stationary modelling approach

Daniel S. Chapman: Developing a spatial epidemiological model to estimate Xylella fastidiosa dispersal and spread

Anna Maria D'Onghia: Spatial and temporal evolution of Xylella fastidiosa in the canopy of Leccino and Ogliarola olive cvs in Apulia (Italy)

Giuliana Loconsole: Interlaboratory comparison of molecular methods for the detection of Xylella fastidiosa in plant and insects

Françoise Petter: How did XF-ACTORS contribute to the work of NPPOs

Antonio Vicent: Scientific contributions of XF-ACTORS to the EU plant health regime

Angelo Di Mambro: Xylella fastidiosa, the social and media impact in plant health management

3rd European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa, 29–30 April 2021

Thursday, 29 April 2021

OPENING CEREMONY & SESSION 1 - Advances on pathogen biology, ecology and genetics (video recordings)

Aina Baró: Aggressiveness of Spanish isolates of Xylella fastidiosa to almond cultivars

Michael O’Leary: Assessing strain-level variation among type I restriction-modification systems and methylation patterns in Xylella fastidiosa

Nancy Walker: A model & image based investigation of Xylella fastidiosa within host dynamics - Young researchers’ initiative

Ofir Bahar: Distribution dynamics of Xylella fastidiosa within almond tree organs through different physiological stages

Jianchi Chen: Genome rearrangements of Xylella fastidiosa strains in US and updates on X. taiwanensis

Nicolas Favelin: Application of phage display: development of tools to fight against Xylella fastidiosa - Young researchers’ initiative

Silke Robatzek: The Arabidopsis immune receptor EFR confers immunity against Xylella fastidiosa

Wei Wei: Csp1, a cold-shock protein homolog in Xylella fastidiosa is involved in stress response and biofilm formation - Young researchers’ initiative

SESSION 2 - Understanding vectors biology and pathogen transmission  (video recording)

Noemi Casarin: The association of Salicaceae and Aphrophoridae: a potential Xylella fastidiosa-based threatening pathosystem for European temperate areas

Martin Godefroid: Accounting for the climate tolerances of Philaenus spumarius is crucial when assessing Xylella fastidiosa-related disease outbreaks risk in Europe

Mark Sisterson: Spread of Xylella fastidiosa by the glassy-winged sharpshooter in the San Joaquin Valley of California

Miguel Ángel Miranda: Understanding the epidemiological role of the vectors of Xylella fastidiosa in the Balearic Islands (Spain) by long-term macrocosm and microcosm studies

Gianni Gilioli: Modelling the population dynamics of Philaenus spumarius: a fully mechanistic approach

Sofía Delgado-Serra: DNA barcoding and assessment of the genetic diversity of the Xylella fastidiosa vectors in the Balearic Islands - Young researchers’ initiative

Cristina Cameirão: Microbial assemblages within Philaenus spumarius and their possible role on insect´s reproduction - Young researchers’ initiative

Friday, 30 April 2021

SESSION 3 - From epidemiological modelling to surveillance and early detection (video recording)

Pablo J. Zarco-Tejada: Progress and achievements on the early detection of Xylella fastidiosa infection and symptom development with hyperspectral and thermal remote sensing imagery

Tanja Dreo: The EU Reference Laboratory for pests of plants on bacteria and a proficiency test for molecular detection of Xylella fastidiosa

Flavia Occhibove: Inferring the potential spread of Xylella fastidiosa in Great Britain - Young researchers’ initiative

Blanca B. Landa: Assessing genome-wide diversity in Xylella fastidiosa through target enrichment via hybridization-based capture from natural host plant and insect samples

Lia Hemerik: Estimating the rate of spread of Olive Quick Decline Syndrome, caused by Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca in Puglia

Alex Giménez-Romero: Risk of establishment of Pierce’s disease in main wine-producer regions worldwide - Young researchers’ initiative

Sybren Vos: Guidelines for risk-based survey design for Xylella fastidiosa

Chris Pollard: The role of trust in the UK live plant trade: impacts on biosecurity behaviours and the management of Xylella fastidiosa risk

Caterina Campese: Media and scientific literature monitoring of Xylella fastidiosa using the MEDISYS platform - Young researchers’ initiative

SESSION 4 - Towards sustainable management strategies (video recordings)

Donato Boscia: Searching for olives displaying resistance traits to Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca ST53: experimental evidence and challenges

Giuseppe Lima: Evaluation of alternative compounds against Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca in olive groves of the Salento peninsula of Apulia

Stéphane Compant: BIOVEXO, a new BBI-JU-H2020 project on biocontrol of Xylella and its vector in olive trees for integrated pest management

Manuel Anguita-Maeso: Culture and metagenomic approaches for the identification of olive xylem microbial communities as a biological control tool to cope against Xylella fastidiosa infection - Young researchers’ initiative

Marwa Mourou: Screening of a novel biological control agent targeting the phytopathogen Xylella fastidiosa - Young researchers’ initiative

Luis Alejandro Moll: Peptides of synthetic and microbial origin with antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against Xylella fastidiosa - Young researchers’ initiative

SESSION 5 & CONCLUSIONS - What priorities for research on Xylella fastidiosa? Science support to stakeholders needs (video recording)

Giuseppe Stancanelli: Xylella fastidiosa knowledge gaps and research priorities: contributions from the European X. fastidiosa conferences

Anna Rufolo: New research priorities on Xylella fastidiosa from EU farmers perspective

Josep M. Pagès: New research priorities on Xylella fastidiosa from EU nurserymen perspective

Luigi Catalano: What research needs in the outbreak areas? A nursery perspective for olive and fruit trees propagation

Vicente Dalmau Sorli: What research needs in the outbreak areas? A risk manager perspective

Rosalinda Scalia: The new legal framework of the European Union on Xylella fastidiosa and future research priorities

Gisela Quaglia: Horizon Europe and Plant Health – opportunities for Xylella fastidiosa R&I

Maria Saponari & Claude Bragard: Conclusions and closure of the 3rd European conference on Xylella fastidiosa

Book of Abstracts

Book of Abstracts (draft)

E-poster session

An online e-poster session started the week before the conference: posters accepted have been published on the open access Zenodo platform and promoted through Twitter by both organisers and authors.

The connected poster competition identified the poster Impact of insecticides on the feeding behaviour of Philaenus spumarius associated to the transmission of Xylella fastidiosa as the one which received the highest number of social interactions on Twitter. The presenter author Clara Lago, from the Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Madrid, Spain, was interviewed by EFSA.

List of Posters

Young researcher initiative

Twelve young researchers were selected from those who had an e-poster accepted for the conference. They gave a short presentation of their research during the conference.

They have also been interviewed about their studies and research work; the videos are available on the EFSA YouTube channel.

Contact points

• Xylella_conference [at] efsa.europa.eu (Xylella_conference[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu)
• Info [at] xfactorsproject.eu (Info[at]xfactorsproject[dot]eu)