Project description
Preventing an HLB epidemic in Europe
Huanglongbing (HLB) is an incurable plant disease that is killing citrus trees worldwide. All commercial citrus species and cultivars are vulnerable to this disease. The arrival of the African citrus psyllid to Europe, a sap-sucking insect known to carry the bacterial causal agent of the HLB disease, has sounded the alarm. The psyllid has been reported in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Though extremely difficult to control, prevention of an HLB epidemic is key. The EU-funded PRE-HLB project will develop and implement a holistic contingency plan to protect Europe’s citrus sector. It will also co-create new solutions to manage the disease through a multidisciplinary approach. One of the project’s main goals is to improve current HLB surveillance, contingency and control strategies.
Objective
The EU citriculture is threatened by the emerging disease Huanglongbing (HLB, also known as Greening), considered the most devastating citrus disease due to its rapid dispersal, severity and fast progression of symptoms, huge losses in fruit production and quality, cost and difficulty of preventing new infections, lack of resistant citrus varieties and economically feasible treatments for infected trees, and absence of durable control mechanisms. HLB generates multimillion economic losses to citrus industry. Now it is time to start the research in the EU because the vector Trioza erytreae has been detected and is spreading in Spain and Portugal.
The overarching objective of Pre-HLB is to develop and implement a holistic contingency plan to protect the citrus sector in the EU from HLB disease drivers and to co-create new solutions to manage the disease through a multidisciplinary approach and in collaboration with experienced partners from America and Asia.
The Pre-HLB work plan includes three specific objectives to monitor progress:
a) Pre-HLB preventive actions and development of mid-term tools will limit HLB potential introduction, reducing the potential economic impact in EU (estimated in 7.7 billion euros) by 40%
b) The consortium will contribute to improve current HLB surveillance, contingency and control strategies. Up to 100,000Ha of citrus cropping area will be monitored to obtain field information on potential HLB infection and the dynamics of the vector in the subareas of highest risk, thus limiting disease/infestation spread.
c) Excellent European research centres will join forces to fill research gaps in vector biology, host/vector/pathogen interactions, Aurantioideae genetics and genomics, as well as to develop new biotechnological tools, such as new effectors, metabolites, bio-stimulants and biopesticides.Results will identify HLB-resistance traits and will allow to generate long-term resistance.This is one major milestone in the field of citriculture.
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Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
28006 Madrid
Spain
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Participants (24)
5301 253 Braganca
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00184 Roma
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00185 Roma
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75016 Paris
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46113 MONCADA VALENCIA
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70770901 Brasilia
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CB2 1TN Cambridge
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1012WX Amsterdam
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DH1 3LE Durham
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410128 CHANGSHA
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Participation ended
17003 Girona
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
04745 Almeria
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
12550 Almassora
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46018 VALENCIA
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46008 Valencia
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31192 Mutilva Alta Navarra
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
95131 Catania
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46022 Valencia
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46980 Valencia
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
8005 139 Faro
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8900 024 Algarve
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
50250 Bet Dagan
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17004 Girona
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