The COVID19 pandemic showed us the importance of science and research and how essential communication between scientists and policy makers is. Without communication, mutual comprehension and concerted actions, the message that gets to the public is distorted and acceptation of measures more difficult. The parallel with Plant Health is evident. Euphresco works every day to facilitate communication and collaboration on plant health research. The importance of a network that can bring together stakeholders from different regions of the world and with different missions has been explained in the publication ‘Science diplomacy for plant health’. A press release and the article can be viewed from the IPPC website. The publication was an opportunity for Euphresco to strengthen the links with the Regional Plant Protection Organizations, the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention and of the Convention of Biological Diversity, that are now advisors of the network. Discussions are ongoing with a number of organizations worldwide to broaden Euphresco membership and make the network more inclusive.
Evaluation of the Euphresco network
An evaluation was undertaken in 2020 to assess how the Euphresco network has addressed its strategic objectives and to review the impact that the network’s activities have had on plant health research and policy. The evaluation will be used to guide interventions for the improvement of network activities, tools and procedures. But it will also be used to promote research coordination and international collaboration of plant health research stakeholders. The executive summary of the evaluation was published on Zenodo. A more detailed report is available upon request.
Transnational research collaboration to start soon
Discussions on the research topics proposed in 2020 have come to an end, collaborations have been secured between organizations in thirty-seven countries worldwide and fifteen research projects will start soon on the following topics:
2020-A-334 Plant health status of Fagus spp.
The project will gather knowledge on the risk of introduction and establishment of beech leaf disease in Europe.
2020-A-335 Pathotypes of Globodera pallida
The project will survey pathotypes of Globodera pallida. Information will be used for testing and developing resistant potato varieties.
2020-F-336 Taxonomy and epidemiology of Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp. in Europe, North America and South Africa
The project will develop and validate tools that allow quick and proper characterisation of Pectobacterium and Dickeya species at the (sub)species level and to use these tools to get a better understanding of the taxonomy and epidemiology of these bacteria.
2020-A-337 Developing and assessing surveillance methodologies for Agrilus beetles
The project will develop monitoring tools for specific Agrilus species and/or develop a more generic trapping technique for this group of wood boring insects.
2020-A-339 Seed borne pathogens of conifers
The project will gather knowledge on seed borne pests of conifers and develop metabarcoding methods for the generic detection of pathogens. The main focus of the work should be on the conifer genera Pinus, Picea, Abies, Pseudotsuga and Cedrus and on pests such as those that cause Neonectria canker and Sirococcus blight.
2020-A-340 Improved knowledge about the epidemiology and distribution of priority invasive and (re)emerging arthropod pests in fruit crops and grapevines
The project will gather information on the phenology and occurrence of arthropods pests such as Aromia bungii, Popillia japonica and Halyomorpha halys on different host plants with emphasis on fruits crops and vineyards in the partner countries.
2020-F-341 The insect vectors of Xylella fastidiosa
The project will develop knowledge on the biology and epidemiology of (potential) vectors of Xylella fastidiosa. The development of traps or lures for the most common vectors will also be considered.
2020-A-343 Resistance breaking strains of Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus: distribution and evaluation of their impact on tomato and pepper production
The project will determine the distribution of Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus resistance-breaking isolates and estimate the potential impact of these on tomato and pepper production.
2020-A-344 Development of efficient methods and identification of barcodes for discriminating Grapevine flavescence dorée sensu-stricto from other related phytoplasmas
The project will evaluate the possibility to develop a reliable test, to be used in routine analysis, to distinguish between GFD phytoplasma and other 16SrV phytoplasmas.
2020-G-346 Data sharing initiative
The project partners will investigate different methods and protocols for data-sharing and consider how they could be implemented in plant health.
2020-A-347 Baseline study on virus reservoirs in native plant species and crops
The project will determine which viruses are present in relevant crops or potential reservoir hosts associated with agricultural fields.
2020-A-352 Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens on bean and soybean: engaging the old enemy
The project will evaluate available selective media and molecular detection tests for the detection of Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens subsp. flaccumfaciens on seeds.
2020-C-353 Basic substances as an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides for plant protection
The project will test and validate the use of basic substances as phytosanitary treatments.
2020-C-360 Countering quarantine viruses and viroids through cleaning and disinfection
The project will gather information on disinfection protocols for tools and greenhouses surfaces against a number of viruses and viroids.
2020-C-361 Preparedness in biological control of priority biosecurity threats
The project will establish a biological control network to share knowledge and information on priority biosecurity threats and biological control agents to increase preparedness for incursions of invasive invertebrate species.
It is still possible for organisations to join consortia, provided that their contributions will fit within the Euphresco research framework. In-kind contributions and alignment of existing research activities allows organisations to join the Euphresco consortia without committing monetary funds. Any request for participation in the above-mentioned projects should be sent to the Euphresco coordinator.
National research priorities currently under discussion
Euphresco projects start as ideas, based on national priorities and proposed by each Euphresco member. Through discussions, exchange and networking, the suggestions become projects. New suggestions for 2021 have been submitted by Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Estonia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United States of America, the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency and the the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. The list of suggested topics is available from the Euphresco website and expressions of interest can be sent to the Euphresco coordinator.
Open access reports and recommendations to policy makers
Since its creation, Euphresco has adopted an open science approach, i.e. the most important research outputs are publicly accessible. In the last months, several interesting projects ended and final reports with recommendations to policy makers are available on Zenodo.
Project 2015-B-115 The biology and epidemiology of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ and potato phytoplasmas and their contribution to risk management in potato and other crops
Project 2015-E-156 Development and implementation of early detection tools and effective management strategies for invasive non-European and other selected fruit fly species of economic importance
Project 2015-A-167 Risk-based strategies to prepare for and manage invasive tree borers
Project 2015-F-172 The application of Next-Generation Sequencing technology for the detection and diagnosis of non-culturable organisms: viruses and viroids
Project 2016-A-180 Interlaboratory test performance study for molecular confirmation of Ralstonia solanacearum virulence
Project 2016-F-221Xylella fastidiosa and its insect vectors
Project 2016-I-224 An International Plant Sentinel Network as an early-warning system; research on future pest threats
Project 2017-A-249 Early detection of Cryphonectria parasitica in planting material
Inside national research projects
Australia: plant pest surveillance takes to the sky with iMapPESTS
The Australian agriculture and horticulture industries have joined forces to deliver a five-year project which will change the way airborne pests are detected. iMapPESTS: Sentinel Surveillance for Agriculture (Hort Innovation Project Number: ST16010) is a coordinated system that can rapidly monitor and report the presence of targeted airborne pests.
The sentinels are a suite of state-of-the-art mobile surveillance units. They have been designed to offer optimal sampling of either airborne fungal spores or airborne insects. Spores are trapped by high volumetric suction traps that respond to wind direction and insects are trapped using two different onboard samplers at a six-metre and at two metres height. After the sentinel has captured any airborne spores and insects, the physical samples are sent to the laboratory for the diagnosis. The pest data is recorded via a cloud-based system, linked to corresponding environmental data from the time of trapping and shared via the iMapPESTS website.
Aside from validating the use of the sentinels in field conditions, the project will investigate the application of new diagnostic techniques for the detection of exotic pests and the hosts they are feeding on using high throughput sequencing and other molecular diagnostic techniques. More information can be found on the project website www.imappests.com.au.
Belgium: seed money provided for creating tools for awareness raising and notification of harmful organisms
In order to detect changes in existing populations or introductions of new harmful organisms as early as possible, territorial surveillance is of great importance. In 2018, the Belgian Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment launched a call for a national project inviting researchers to develop a harmonized system for awareness, early detection and notification of organisms harmful to plants in Belgium. The project ‘BEWARE&NOTE’ started in the summer of 2019. It is run by a consortium of the Research institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Natuurpunt Studie and PCS Ornamental Plant Research.
A new tool to collect reports of harmful organisms will be located under the existing website www.waarnemingen.be/www.observations.be, already well-known for recording and sharing information on observations in Belgium. The system will integrate reports made by private individuals as well as from professional warning systems. For this purpose, a system with expert reporting verification will be set up in a way that observations can be reported and sorted according to relevance, notified and followed-up by the competent authorities. Factsheets on target organisms have been gathered or created, and courses and online teaching material is being developed. It is expected that the system will be up and running early in 2021. A poster campaign on the ‘10 most wanted Q organisms’ will announce the launch of the new website. In the 2019 Euphresco round of transnational collaboration, ILVO took the initiative to expand the Belgian project to an Euphresco project which is now starting with 13 international partners (from BE, CY, DE, ES, GB, IT, RS, SI, SK) and 4 observers (IPPC, EFSA, EPPO and MPI-NZ). Knowledge will be exchanged in order to improve existing and developing surveillance and alert systems. More information can be found in the online annual report (available in French and Dutch) of the DG Animals, Plants and Food from the Belgian Federal Public Service of Health.
France: being CREATIVE against fungal diseases of apple
Since 2016, reports of defoliation in apple orchards from different regions in France have increased. The French Ministry of Agriculture suspected the symptoms to be caused by Alternaria mali, a pathogen recommended for regulation as a quarantine pest (EPPO A1 list). The CREATIVE project was initiated in 2018 to describe which pathogenic taxa of Alternaria are involved in the defoliation of French orchards, to assess the presence of Alternaria mali in France and to develop and validate a molecular diagnostic test for the differentiation of the major Alternaria taxa (including Alternaria mali).
CREATIVE will also focus on apple scab caused by Venturia inaequalis and less frequently by V. asperata, and pear scab caused by V. pyrina or V.nashicola. The project aims to develop real-time PCR tests for the early detection of airborne inoculum in apple and pear orchards. Moreover, sentinel tools that combine spore traps and molecular diagnostic tests will be assessed to monitor orchards, in order to adapt and reduce phytosanitary treatments.
More information on some preliminary results can be found on the book of abstracts of the 18th Congress of European mycologists (Warsaw and Białowieża, Poland) http://www.ptmyk.pl/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Abstract_book_final_strona29.9.2019.pdf.
Norway: risk management for imported plants and seeds, possibilities for improved pest detection to prevent the introduction and spread of new pests
In Norway, the responsibility for performing plant health inspections on imported plants has gradually been shifted to importers of plants, who are currently responsible for inspection and in-house inspection for plant pests. Businesses importing plants must be registered with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. This plant health system poses several challenges to import risk analysis due to the great variety of importers (e.g. professional business, individuals like farmers and garden owners) and thus of capacities to comply with regulations. Research activities have been initiated on how the current regulatory framework affects the effectiveness of import risk analysis. The STOPPest project asks what are the conditions for effective management of plant health with regard to plant imports. Its main objective is to develop knowledge on the conditions for effective management of plant health regarding plant imports. Three case studies: strawberry plants, ornamentals, and seeds will be analysed. Furthermore, mapping and assessment of the regulatory framework, review of existing research on biological risks and analysis of importers’ ́ behaviour and practices to identify the weakness in the current system will be performed. The project scientists will implement an interdisciplinary research design and will undertake document analysis, interviews, survey and biological testing and compare the results of inspections performed by importers and professional inspectors. The outcomes of this project will be recommendations for more effective internal pest monitoring as well as policy recommendations for how to improve the control of imported plants. This four year project is a cooperation between the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and will start this month. More information can be found on the Nibio website https://nibio.no/en/employees/frode-veggeland.
Italy: novel control strategies against Halyomorpha halys
The damages caused by Halyomorpha halys to Italian Agriculture alone have been estimated to be 740 M€ in 2019.
Throughout the world, H. halys control relies on synthetic chemicals, but chemical applications led to frequent failures, thwarting the containment efforts undertaken, which has pushed scientists to try and find alternatives that are more efficient and sustainable.
Several studies have been conducted with the use of egg parasitoids, first with native organisms, such as Anastatus bifasciatus and Ooencyrtus telenomicida without encouraging results, then with egg parasitoids originating from the same area of Halyomorpha halys, such as Trissolcus japonicus.
In a completely unexpected way, populations of T. japonicus have recently been identified outside their area of origin, both in North America (USA and Canada), and in Europe (Italy and Switzerland). The presence in Italy of populations of T. japonicus is of great interest as it opens opportunities for natural control of H. halys over the coming years. In 2020, the release of T. japonicus in the Northern Italian regions was approved by the competent authorities. The release plan of T. japonicus was applied using laboratory-reared populations, with batches of 110 specimens (100 females and 10 males) distributed in more than 600 sites. The effects of the intervention and non-target impact are under evaluation.
New Zealand: finding that elusive worm - A novel methodology for plant-parasitic nematode diagnostics
Following recent investigations of unwanted plant-parasitic nematodes in New Zealand, a gap in sample processing capability was highlighted. Current nematode extraction protocols were limited to extracting nematodes from small volumes of soil, and therefore the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) was struggling to extract and identify nematodes from large quantities of soil in an efficient and timely manner. As a result, a project was initiated to develop a new method for robust and efficient isolation of nematodes from soil, which could also allow bulk DNA extraction for PCR-based screening.
A collaboration between Fera Science Ltd (York, UK) and MPI led to the development of a novel nematode extraction device and the methodology to extract nematodes from large soil samples (5kg), which can be completed within hours. The extracted nematodes can thereafter be used for bulk nematode DNA extraction to determine the presence or absence of pest nematode species, using specific PCR tests that are already available at PHEL. This methodology was validated both at Fera Science and PHEL, and shown to be fit for purpose as well as readily transferable between laboratories. Most importantly, the new method allows the sample processing time to be reduced from the previously required 2 to 4 weeks down to just 2 days. A training course was carried out at PHEL in July 2020, teaching laboratory staff how to use the novel nematode extraction device and process bulk soil samples for downstream molecular or morphological identification.
Spain: integrated control of cherry tree pests
The operation group Fitoscerezo was established in 2020 thanks to European (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, EAFRD) and National (Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Food) funding.
The aim of the project is to develop a new program of integrated control for cherry tree pests such as Apiognomonia erythrostoma, Blumeriella jaapii, Drosophila suzukii, Gnomonia erythrostoma, Myzus cerasi, Rhagoletis cerasi, Stigmina carpophila, and Monilinia spp. The control of these pests is hampered by the low availability of active substances for cherry, which is considered a minor crop, and the need to adapt the phytosanitary control to the provisions of the 2009 Directive/128/CEE and the national Royal Decree 1311/2012, which establishes the framework for action to achieve a sustainable use of plant protection products. The main activities of the project are: a) to develop methods for estimating pest risk and decision support systems to guide interventions; b) to test and validate the use of phytosanitary products; c) to demonstrate the efficacy of integrated pest management solutions in field trials, also considering economic, environmental (impact on biodiversity, risk of pollution) and food safety (residues) criteria.
Knowing more about Euphresco
Anybody interested in receiving information on the Euphresco activities can subscribe to the newsletter by completing the form on the Euphresco website. Those interested in participating in Euphresco projects can contact the Euphresco coordinator.
