TROPICSAFE: Insect-borne prokaryote-associated diseases in tropical and subtropical perennial crops

Tropicsafe project addresses different important infectious diseases (lethal yellowing in palms, yellows in grapevines, and huanglongbing in citrus) focusing on tropical and subtropical areas in nine different regions of Africa, America, Caribbean and Europe

Date de début de projet

01/01/2017

Date de fin du projet

30/04/2022

Objectives

Insect-borne prokaryote-associated diseases are seriously affecting the trade and import of agricultural products and materials worldwide. Lethal yellowing in palms and yellows in grapevines, due to the presence of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ species, and huanglongbing in citrus due to ‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ species, are severe infectious diseases. The Tropicsafe project addresses these diseases focusing on tropical and subtropical areas in nine different regions of Africa, America, Caribbean and Europe.

The objectives of the project are:

  • Obtain updated data and information on Lethal Yellowing (LY), Huanglongbing (HLB) and Grapevine Yellows (GY) diseases in the selected countries.2
  • Generate new and deeper knowledge on epidemiological cycles of the studied diseases in subtropical and tropical areas.
  • Develop advanced Integrated Pest Management and New Pest Management strategies. Knowledge about germplasm susceptibility/resistance characteristics will be also improved.
  • Develop rapid and reliable methods for detecting pathogens and identifying insect vectors.
  • Evaluate the socio-economic sustainability and feasibility of the new technologies and Integrated Pest Management strategies.

Location

Europe, Africa, Latin America, Caribbean

Partnership

Univ di Bologna (Italy), Council for Agric Res and Economics (Italy), Univ of Nottingham (UK), Coconuts Industry Board (Jamaica), Univ of Pretoria (South Africa), Cooperativa Agricola y Vvitivinicola Loncomilla Ltda. (Chile, Centro de Investigacion de Yucatan (Mexico), Council for scientific and industrial research (Ghana), Colegio de Post Graduados COLPO (Mexico), Stellenbosh Univ (South Africa), Agrirest SRL (Italy), Aarhus Univ (Denmark), Nat Institute of Biology (Slovenia), Univ de chile, facultad de ciencias agronómicas (Chile), Res institute in tropical fruit growing (Cuba), Fundacion empresa universidad gallega (Spain), Cirad (France), Instituto valenciano de investigaciones agrarias (Spain), Ecoproductores del trópico húmedo, asociación civil (Mexico), Assofwi (France), Vinpro (South Africa), Patho solutions (PTY) Lt (South Africa).

Team

Evolutionary structure of citrus, polyploïdy and genetic improvement (SEAPAG)

Fundings

European Union, H2020, contract n ° 727459

Keywords

Citrus, Grapes, Palms, Lethal yellowing, Yellows, Candidatus Phytoplasma, Candidatus liberibacter