H2020 XF-ACTORS Project: Active containment of Xylella Fastidiosa through a multidisciplinary research strategy
- Type Project
- Status Filled
- Execution 2016 -2021
- Assigned Budget 6.903.000,00 €
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing H2020
- Project website Proyecto XF-ACTORS
XF-ACTORS has enabled the establishment of a multidisciplinary research program in Europe, for the first time, to combat this harmful pathogen. A network has been established that facilitates a fruitful exchange of knowledge between different experts and disciplines: biology, genetics, bioinformatics, entomology, epidemiology and modeling, etc.
We know that finding a therapy against Xylella is an ambitious long-term goal; however, XF-ACTORS shed light on various aspects of the outbreaks in the EU: from the aggressiveness to the host range of the different EU strains; from the disease's spread patterns to the epidemiology in different agroecosystems; and knowledge about the insect vectors that play a crucial role in the spread of infections. All this scientific information was essential for the European Commission to develop protective legislative provisions/measures and implement preventive strategies. Indeed, the team of modelers, working on developing models that predict the riskiest locations and the spread of the pathogen once an outbreak is detected, has taken advantage of the scarce scientific knowledge gathered throughout the project's different tasks.
All biological information, for example, has been used to fine-tune model parameters, in order to implement models as close as possible to real-life disease scenarios. The activities and knowledge gathered within the framework of XF_ACTORS have inspired and driven the work plan of other research projects that built their research agenda benefiting from the background developed within XF-ACTORS: i.e., the BIOVEXO, CURE-XF, and ERC-MULTIX projects. Several other national and international research initiatives have requested the collaboration and support of XF-ACTORS members. XF-ACTORS has been the leading consortium in this phytosanitary emergency with intense networking activities at different levels (international, national, and regional).
Guaranteed public visibility and impact of project results: knowledge transfer to EU agencies (EFSA and the European Commission); knowledge sharing with the scientific community (more than 100 peer-reviewed articles published in open access); and stakeholder awareness support through the publication of practice summaries.
XF-ACTORS was the first international research project in Europe dedicated entirely to developing a multidisciplinary research program on the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa. The consortium involved 30 partners and research institutions, including four non-European research centers from the US, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Taiwan—countries where the pathogen has long been known to be present.
The project sought to address the urgent need to improve prevention strategies, early detection, and control of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe. The overall objective was to develop a comprehensive strategy for the integrated management of serious diseases associated with Xylella fastidiosa, with the aim of preventing their spread or introduction into Xylella fastidiosa-free areas and mitigating their economic, environmental, and social impact.
The knowledge generated by XF-ACTORS research aimed to improve farmers' capacity to manage the disease and prevent further economic losses in crops; strengthen the capacity and expertise of plant health authorities to bolster the EU plant health regime; and generate a positive impact on improving EU prevention measures (legislative provisions, technical procedures, disease control methods, etc.). Stakeholder interests were a key factor in XF-ACTORS.
Therefore, an intensive outreach and stakeholder engagement program has been implemented, involving representatives of international and national plant protection and quarantine services, EU policymakers, producer organizations, growers and nursery growers, and extension services.
XF-ACTORS aims to establish a multidisciplinary research program to respond to the urgent need to improve the prevention, early detection, and control of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf). Recently, Xf was introduced in Italy, where it is causing severe damage to olive crops, and in France, where so far it is limited to ornamental plants and some landscape trees. The overall objective of the research program is to assess the potential of Xf to spread across the entire EU territory, while maximizing its impact through a multifactorial approach, based on seamless integration between the 29 partners involved. The proposed actions will be complementary to those carried out within the framework of Project POnTE - 635646, thus ensuring uninterrupted continuity with the efforts currently underway.
Specific objectives have been outlined following a step-by-step path, from preventing its introduction into pest-free areas to establishing successful eradication strategies in infected zones. Preventive measures against Xf will be strengthened through the implementation of EU certification programs and the development of a plan to establish an EU Clean Plant Network.
EU policymakers will receive support through the development of pest risk assessment tools, focusing on current outbreaks and the forecasting of potentially threatened regions. Surveillance will be appropriately implemented, supporting the development of early detection tools for field use, remote sensing technology, and predictive modeling. Critical information on pathogen biology, epidemiological characteristics, and threatened hosts will be gathered under the leadership of US research groups with long-standing research experience. At the same time, insect-bacteria interactions will be determined to develop strategic control measures.
The final overall objective is a comprehensive integrated disease management strategy for Xf-associated diseases, applicable to both IPM and organic farming systems, to prevent the spread of Xf and control its economic, environmental/social impact when an outbreak occurs.
Historic olive groves and a wide variety of other plants are at risk due to a highly destructive invasive pathogen. XF-ACTORS brought together international experts to promote fruitful exchange and knowledge development across different disciplines, which will help farmers control the pest and prevent further economic losses to their crops.
The plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is thought to have originated in Central America and is now found worldwide. The bacterium is transmitted by insects that feed on plant sap and progressively colonize xylem tissues. These become blocked, depriving plants of essential water and causing them to die from thirst from within. The pathogen made its first appearance in Europe in 2013 in Puglia, Italy, where the local climate favored the spread of the disease, resulting in the destruction of millions of olive trees, some hundreds of years old.
Since its detection in Puglia, different strains of the bacterium have been identified in northern Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain. Olive and almond trees are the most threatened EU crops. The XF-ACTORS project established a multidisciplinary research program to improve prevention, early detection, and control of the pathogen. “XF-ACTORS is the first international research project in Europe entirely dedicated to developing a multidisciplinary research program to combat Xylella fastidiosa, one of the most dangerous plant bacteria in the world. The program involves 29 partners from 14 countries, including four non-European research centers in the United States, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Taiwan,” says project coordinator Maria Saponari.
The project complements the work of the POnTE project, which has worked to minimize the risk of introduction and impact of emerging pests that threaten EU agriculture and forestry. Know your enemy Thanks to the large-scale use of genomic sequencing, researchers can now shed light on the origin of Xf in Europe, revealing that the pathogen has a longer history in Europe than previously thought. “We now know that strains display a diversity of host ranges and aggressiveness, so measures to control the impact of infections need to be tailored to the specific scenarios occurring in the different EU outbreaks in Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain,” says Saponari.
Progress has also been made in deciphering the mechanisms and components of the host immune system that respond to Xf infection, opening new avenues for future breeding programs and long-term sustainable management approaches. Project partners also developed the largest genome sequence dataset, offering a unique tool for answering biological and epidemiological questions based on analyses of phylogenetic relationships and population structures.
Studies in laboratories and field conditions revealed which plant species EU insect vectors prefer to feed on, their feeding behaviors, and during what stage of their life cycle they became effective carriers of the bacteria. Greater knowledge about insect vectors implies more targeted interventions to reduce their population and their ability to transmit the Xf virus. Researchers also created risk maps to predict the spread of the pathogen, allowing them to identify the most vulnerable sites and prioritize surveillance. “Biological data have been used to fine-tune the parameters of epidemiological models and ensure that they represent real-life disease scenarios as accurately as possible,” says Saponari. Knowledge is power. Finding a definitive solution for treating Xf is an ambitious and long-term goal. Thanks to XF-ACTORS, we now know several aspects of the outbreak in Europe.
The knowledge generated by XF-ACTORS research will help farmers manage the pest and prevent further economic losses in their crops. “This includes tools to mitigate the impact of the disease, such as reducing vector populations or improving plant resilience to infection. It will also enhance the capacity and expertise of plant health authorities to strengthen the EU plant health regime and improve preventive measures, such as legislation, technical procedures, and disease control tools,” Saponari notes.
We know our enemy better: the large-scale genomic sequencing campaign has provided us with scientific information about the origin of Xylella in Europe, and we know that its history in Europe is actually longer than we thought. We have also elucidated some aspects related to its demanding nature; we know that some strains are less aggressive than others, so measures to control the impact of infections must be adapted to the specific scenarios of different outbreaks in the EU. We have a better understanding of how plants counteract infections: Progress has been made in deciphering the mechanisms and components of the host immune system that respond to Xylella infection, opening new avenues for future breeding programs and long-term sustainable management approaches.
We have a better understanding of how it interacts with other plant "cohabitants"; we have explored microbial communities to look for resistance hotspots and natural antagonists. Although the results have not yet identified any potential positive antagonists, the analysis provided a snapshot of what happens in infected plants. For example, we showed that Xylella suppresses other microbes, becoming the predominant microorganism in the microbial community. We have a better understanding of European insect vectors: research in laboratories and in field conditions has revealed several characteristics of EU insect vectors (which species they prefer to feed on, what their life cycle is, when/at what stage of their life cycle they became effective carriers of the bacteria from plant to plant, what their feeding behaviors are), thus gathering information on the mechanisms underlying the acquisition and transmission of the bacteria.
In conclusion, greater knowledge about insect vectors means more targeted interventions to reduce their population and their ability to carry the bacteria, and therefore, a lower environmental impact for vector control. We developed models to predict the spread of the pathogen, allowing us to identify the most vulnerable sites for prioritizing inspections. We introduced innovations for detecting the bacteria and, therefore, tools to improve the surveillance program.
- CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (CNR)
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