4th European conference on Xylella fastidiosa

Background and topic

The 4th European conference on Xylella fastidiosa will be held on 20 August 2023 in Lyon (France), as a Satellite event of the International Congress on Plant Pathology (ICPP2023). It will bring together researchers, risk assessors, risk managers and stakeholders to discuss the results from research that has taken place since X. fastidiosa was first detected in Europe in 2013.

Organised by EFSA with the active contribution of the major EU and transnational research initiatives on X. fastidiosa (BeXyl, BIOVEXO, ERC MultiX and EUPHRESCO), the conference will be chaired by Blanca B. Landa, who coordinates the EU funded project BeXyl (Beyond Xylella), and Giuseppe Stancanelli, who leads the Plant Health Risk Assessment team at EFSA. The Scientific Committee of this conference includes scientists from all the partner organisations and external reviewers.

The presentations and discussions will take stock of the results from research that has taken place over the last decade. Two major research projects funded by the European Union have filled knowledge gaps on the distinctive elements of the outbreaks, consolidated a robust network for monitoring and testing, and produced results that have supported and influenced the activities of researchers, stakeholders and policy makers.

Objectives of the event

The programme reflects the progress of the multidisciplinary research conducted and will discuss the scientific approaches to develop and test practical and applicable solutions for the control and sustainable management of X. fastidiosa outbreaks in the EU.

The conference sessions and discussions will cover the latest findings, data and knowledge on X. fastidiosa, including:

• Pathogen biology, ecology and genetics;
• Epidemiology and modelling of X. fastidiosa diseases;
• Host plant-interactions and resistant/tolerant plant germplasm;
• Surveillance and early detection tools;
• Vectors biology and sustainable control strategies;
• Endophytic microbial resources for X. fastidiosa control;
• Sustainable and integrated pest and disease management strategies for prevention and reduction of the impact of X. fastidiosa diseases.

Young Researchers’ Initiative

The Young Researchers’ Initiative was designed to support early-career researchers and plant health professionals, by covering accommodation and travel costs to attend the conference.

EFSA has selected 13 researchers for this initiative, hailing from Europe, America, and Asia. To be considered, participants needed to be a presenter of an accepted oral or poster presentation, be either a PhD student or an early career researcher/plant health professional, and be affiliated with a public institute or higher education institute.