Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BeXyl (Beyond Xylella, Integrated Management Strategies for Mitigating Xylella fastidiosa impact in Europe (BeXyl))
Período documentado: 2024-03-01 hasta 2025-08-31
Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is one of the most harmful plant pests worldwide and is considered a priority quarantine pathogen in the European Union, where it threatens agriculture, landscapes, and natural ecosystems. New introductions or further spread of Xf would have severe economic, environmental, and social impacts across Europe.
The project aims to tackle new Xf introductions and to develop and implement tailored Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies that will mitigate the impacts of ongoing outbreaks. BeXyl will develop knowledge, tools, and sustainable strategies to better prevent, detect, and control Xf. In doing so, BeXyl supports the long-term productivity, resilience, and sustainability of European agriculture and forestry, ensuring that the solutions developed are practical, applicable, and aligned with EU plant health policy.
BeXyl pursues eight specific objectives that together strengthen Europe’s preparedness and response capacity:
1. Develop new knowledge and fill existing research gaps to understand the drivers of Xf introduction, including the effects of climate change.
2. Develop new strategies and improved methods for surveillance, early detection and monitoring of Xf and its vectors to better tackle new Xf introductions.
3. Develop non-chemical treatments for Xf in nursery stock to boost safe trade and market of plant propagating materials.
4. Facilitate outbreak area restoration through the characterization and exploitation of resistant genotypes in major EU-affected crops.
5. Develop innovative control solutions targeting insect vectors and Xf to increase plant resilience to infections.
6. Integrate effective control measures in IPM programs for the sustainable management of Xf in outbreak areas
7. Estimate the ecological, social and economic impacts of Xf establishment, spread and outbreak management approaches.
8. Promote dissemination and communication, technology transfer, public awareness and stakeholder engagement in tackling Xf outbreaks through plant health policies and the implementation of effective IPM programs.
The project aims to tackle new Xf introductions and to develop and implement tailored Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies that will mitigate the impacts of ongoing outbreaks. BeXyl will develop knowledge, tools, and sustainable strategies to better prevent, detect, and control Xf. In doing so, BeXyl supports the long-term productivity, resilience, and sustainability of European agriculture and forestry, ensuring that the solutions developed are practical, applicable, and aligned with EU plant health policy.
BeXyl pursues eight specific objectives that together strengthen Europe’s preparedness and response capacity:
1. Develop new knowledge and fill existing research gaps to understand the drivers of Xf introduction, including the effects of climate change.
2. Develop new strategies and improved methods for surveillance, early detection and monitoring of Xf and its vectors to better tackle new Xf introductions.
3. Develop non-chemical treatments for Xf in nursery stock to boost safe trade and market of plant propagating materials.
4. Facilitate outbreak area restoration through the characterization and exploitation of resistant genotypes in major EU-affected crops.
5. Develop innovative control solutions targeting insect vectors and Xf to increase plant resilience to infections.
6. Integrate effective control measures in IPM programs for the sustainable management of Xf in outbreak areas
7. Estimate the ecological, social and economic impacts of Xf establishment, spread and outbreak management approaches.
8. Promote dissemination and communication, technology transfer, public awareness and stakeholder engagement in tackling Xf outbreaks through plant health policies and the implementation of effective IPM programs.
During the 1st and 2nd reporting periods, BeXyl has advanced the development of new knowledge, tools and strategies to prevent, detect and manage Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) in the EU. The project has addressed the full risk pathway from introduction and surveillance to management and resilience building.
BeXyl has established a network of sentinel plots and botanical gardens in infected areas to monitor Xf emergence under real conditions. These sites are providing essential data on host range, environmental drivers, and disease dynamics. More than 700 Xf genomes have been sequenced, and new vectors have been identified, improving understanding of pathogen diversity, host adaptation and outbreak evolution, and supporting tracing analyses.
Risk-based surveillance strategies have been developed by integrating epidemiological and genetic spread models with optimised sampling design. Novel diagnostic tools, including LAMP, digital PCR and high-throughput sequencing, have been evaluated to improve early and reliable detection in both plants and insect vectors. Additional tools such as vector monitoring traps, plant phenotyping indicators, remote-sensing models and canine detection have been developed, tested and validated. In parallel, thermal treatment protocols for nursery material have been investigated to support safe plant trade.
BeXyl has also made significant progress in developing sustainable control solutions. Large-scale screening programmes in olive, and almond are ongoing and started to identify resistant or tolerant genotypes and associated traits, supporting breeding for resilience. Innovative biological and ecological control approaches have been tested, including entomopathogenic fungi, parasitoids, beneficial microbial consortia, antimicrobial peptides, plant-derived compounds, engineered materials and bacteriophages. Promising solutions have progressed from laboratory trials toward greenhouse and field validation. IPM strategies integrating multiple tools and agronomic practices have been designed and are currently being tested at field scale.
Finally, the project has assessed the ecological, social and economic consequences of Xf establishment and management, generating evidence that will support proportionate decision-making and stakeholder acceptance.
BeXyl has established a network of sentinel plots and botanical gardens in infected areas to monitor Xf emergence under real conditions. These sites are providing essential data on host range, environmental drivers, and disease dynamics. More than 700 Xf genomes have been sequenced, and new vectors have been identified, improving understanding of pathogen diversity, host adaptation and outbreak evolution, and supporting tracing analyses.
Risk-based surveillance strategies have been developed by integrating epidemiological and genetic spread models with optimised sampling design. Novel diagnostic tools, including LAMP, digital PCR and high-throughput sequencing, have been evaluated to improve early and reliable detection in both plants and insect vectors. Additional tools such as vector monitoring traps, plant phenotyping indicators, remote-sensing models and canine detection have been developed, tested and validated. In parallel, thermal treatment protocols for nursery material have been investigated to support safe plant trade.
BeXyl has also made significant progress in developing sustainable control solutions. Large-scale screening programmes in olive, and almond are ongoing and started to identify resistant or tolerant genotypes and associated traits, supporting breeding for resilience. Innovative biological and ecological control approaches have been tested, including entomopathogenic fungi, parasitoids, beneficial microbial consortia, antimicrobial peptides, plant-derived compounds, engineered materials and bacteriophages. Promising solutions have progressed from laboratory trials toward greenhouse and field validation. IPM strategies integrating multiple tools and agronomic practices have been designed and are currently being tested at field scale.
Finally, the project has assessed the ecological, social and economic consequences of Xf establishment and management, generating evidence that will support proportionate decision-making and stakeholder acceptance.
The progress and results achieved in BeXyl continue to align with the three Expected Impacts of the HORIZON-CL6-2021-FARM2FORK-01-04 call:
Impact 1. Enhance capacities to prevent, monitor, and find adequate responses to EU quarantine plant pests
BeXyl has delivered new advances in sentinel-site monitoring, pathogenicity testing, genomic surveillance, bioinformatics discovery, climate-adaptation analysis, remote sensing and machine-learning–based risk assessment. Thermotherapy has been validated for safe movement of propagation material and demonstrated in nursery supply chains.
These integrated advances will substantially reinforce EU capacity to anticipate, prevent, and respond rapidly to X. fastidiosa introductions, accelerating the pathway toward wide operational uptake by NPPOs and other plant health actors.
Impact 2. Enhance capacities to (bio)control important plant pests
Screening programmes in olives and almonds have identified promising resistance sources and breeding populations. Biological and ecological tools for vector suppression — including entomopathogenic fungi, parasitoids and agronomic practices — have progressed, alongside microbial consortia and candidate antimicrobial/biocontrol compounds advancing to greenhouse/early field validation. These advances can strengthen the portfolio of sustainable IPM solutions against Xf in affected and at-risk EU production systems in the future.
Impact 3. Support to relevant EU and Associated Countries’ plant health policies
BeXyl outcomes are directly supporting science-based EU decision-making—from EFSA risk assessment updates to EPPO standard setting and NPPO outbreak response—reinforcing prevention, regulatory compliance, and long-term protection of EU crops and landscapes.
Impact 1. Enhance capacities to prevent, monitor, and find adequate responses to EU quarantine plant pests
BeXyl has delivered new advances in sentinel-site monitoring, pathogenicity testing, genomic surveillance, bioinformatics discovery, climate-adaptation analysis, remote sensing and machine-learning–based risk assessment. Thermotherapy has been validated for safe movement of propagation material and demonstrated in nursery supply chains.
These integrated advances will substantially reinforce EU capacity to anticipate, prevent, and respond rapidly to X. fastidiosa introductions, accelerating the pathway toward wide operational uptake by NPPOs and other plant health actors.
Impact 2. Enhance capacities to (bio)control important plant pests
Screening programmes in olives and almonds have identified promising resistance sources and breeding populations. Biological and ecological tools for vector suppression — including entomopathogenic fungi, parasitoids and agronomic practices — have progressed, alongside microbial consortia and candidate antimicrobial/biocontrol compounds advancing to greenhouse/early field validation. These advances can strengthen the portfolio of sustainable IPM solutions against Xf in affected and at-risk EU production systems in the future.
Impact 3. Support to relevant EU and Associated Countries’ plant health policies
BeXyl outcomes are directly supporting science-based EU decision-making—from EFSA risk assessment updates to EPPO standard setting and NPPO outbreak response—reinforcing prevention, regulatory compliance, and long-term protection of EU crops and landscapes.