Save the date: XF-ACTORS project’s final event and 3rd European Conference on Xylella Fastidiosa – 26-30 April 2021, online

The 3rd EFSA European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa and final meeting of the XF-ACTORS project will be held online between 26-30 April 2021, under the motto: Building knowledge, protecting plant health.

The event will comprise of XF-ACTORS’ meeting, the European conference and a stakeholder session. A parallel e-poster session will be held online.

Presentations and discussions will take stock of the results from research that has taken place since X. fastidiosa was first detected in Europe in 2013. During this period, scientists have filled knowledge gaps on the distinctive elements of the outbreaks in the EU, consolidated a resilient network for monitoring and testing, and achieved results that have supported and influenced the activities of researchers, stakeholders and policy makers.

The conference programme will reflect the multidisciplinary strategy that has been pursued in research. Sessions and discussions will include the latest findings, data and knowledge on X. fastidiosa as a pathosystem, including host plants, vectors, ecosystems, possible control solutions, and its environmental and socio-economic impact.

The conference will cover the most recent results of research on:

• Pathogen biology, ecology and genetics;
• Epidemiology and modeling of X. fastidiosa diseases;
• Host plant-interactions and search for resistant/tolerant germplasm;
• Surveillance and early detection tools; Vectors 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.

Registration will open in January 2021 on XF-Actors’ website.

The meeting of XF-ACTORS, the EU Horizon 2020 research project devoted to this plant pathogenic bacterium, will precede the conference organised by EFSA and the XF-ACTORS project. Major EU research initiatives tackling Xylella fastidiosa like BIOVEXO, CURE-FX, ERC MultiX, EUPHRESCO, EUROXANTH, and Life Resilience contributed to the event.

XF-ACTORS is a project under the Horizon 2020 instrument and brings together an international consortium of 29 partners. The project aims to establish a multidisciplinary research program to answer the urgent need to improve prevention, early detection, and control of Xylella fastidiosa disease.

IFOAM Organics Europe’s role is to promote the project outcomes to all relevant stakeholders in the organic sector and ensure information about the project and its result reaches all relevant actors in Europe.