Italy: The TROPICSAFE project funded by the European Union achieves significant results to better manage coconut lethal yellowing, grapevine yellows, and huanglongbing in citrus
Fresh Grape
Other Fresh Coconut
Italy
Published Apr 22, 2022
Tridge summary
For five years, the TROPICSAFE project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and coordinated by Prof. Assunta Bertaccini (University of Bologna, Italy), studied three economically important insect-borne prokaryote-associated diseases of perennial crops grown in tropical and subtropical areas. Diverse ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ species associated with lethal yellowing in coconut palms and yellows in grapevine, and ‘Ca.
Original content
Liberibacter’ species associated with “huanglongbing” in citrus were identified. During the last decades, these are the diseases most seriously affecting the worldwide trade and import of products and materials from these crops. For their effective, and sustainable management, important knowledge gaps were filled working in Africa, America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Monitoring and developing specific diagnostic methods allowed the identification of the different bacteria associated with these diseases in the ecosystems studied. New insect vectors and alternative host plant species of the studied pathogens were also identified. The knowledge acquired will allow more specific, and environmentally friendly disease management reducing insecticide treatments. Preliminary studies carried out on the bacterial microbiome of the healthy and infected plants also open the way to innovative methodologies. The results obtained were presented the final conference in Corsica. The recordings are ...
By clicking “Accept Cookies,” I agree to provide cookies for statistical and personalized preference purposes.
To learn more about our cookies, please read our Privacy Policy.