The EU-funded European project BeXyl (Beyond Xylella) presented the results of its work at the 5th European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa, held in Bari at the end of June.
The project, launched in 2022, brings together more than 30 partners from research, industry and public authorities to improve the prevention, detection, monitoring and management of this bacterium, considered one of the main plant health threats in Europe.
The results unveiled highlight new knowledge on the spread of the pathogen,enhanced surveillance strategies and tools designed to improve decision-making in response to future outbreaks. The project coordinators believe that this collaboration has made it possible to turn scattered knowledge into a solid scientific framework to protect European agriculture, landscapes and biodiversity.
First detected in the EU in 2013 on olive trees in Apulia (Italy), Xylella fastidiosa has since caused outbreaks in France, Spain and Portugal.
By the end of 2026, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will publish an update of its assessment of plant health risks linked to Xylella fastidiosa in the European Union.
More details: https://aeur.eu/f/mz4 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)