04/05/2016

The FAO-IPPC-CIHEAM International Workshop on Xylella fastidiosa & the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS) was successfully held from 19-22 April 2016, in Bari, Italy. The Workshop was organized by FAO, IPPC and CIHEAM (the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies), with support of the Near East Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO) and the European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). This is the first international workshop on Xylella fastidiosa since such destructive phytosanitary pest was reported on the olive trees in 2013, in Puglia, Italy. Over 140 participants attended the Workshop, who is from 36 countries as well as eight international and regional organizations. Mr Jingyuan Xia, the IPPC Secretary, delivered opening remarks on behalf of FAO and IPPC as well as NEPPO and EPPO. Mr Orlando Sosa (the Leader of Implementation Facilitation Team), Ms Sarah Brunel (the Implementation Officer) and Ms Adriana Moreira (the Standards Officer) from the IPPC Secretariat, attended the Workshop.

The main objectives of the Workshop were a) to raise awareness of the issue of Xyllela fastidiosa, its current and potential impact and management; b) to share information on and experience in legislation, communication, advocacy, education and technical actions for eradicating, containing and managing the pest; c) to discuss the strategies, tactics, and action for increasing the capacities in surveillance, diagnostic and management of the pest; and d) to promote a close cooperation at national, regional and global levels for fighting with this devastating phytosanitary pest.

The Workshop included three major activities:

a) review and information sharing, such as status and impacts, international cooperation and projects, and legislation aspects;

b) technical training and field observation on surveillance and diagnostic methods; and

c) capacity development for management of Xyllela fastidiosa. In particular, participants were well trained in recently developed methods and technical protocols for early surveillance, diagnosis and control, including sampling the vector and host plants through demonstrations of field data acquisition. The mobile application “XylApp” was introduced by the CIHEAM, which helps to gather and quickly transfer field data to a Central Webserver towards the production of report findings.

The Workshop concluded with a recap of capacity development activities on Xylella fastidiosa undertaken in the Mediterranean basin. Participants agreed that continued aggregation of information on the bacterium, its vector and host species were critical but equally important going forth would be the establishment of a network for sharing knowledge, raising awareness, and increasing the capacity of National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) against the spread of this pathogen to other countries.

Session 1         Xylella fastidiosa and its impacts

Chairman B. Giovani, European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO)

  • The world threat of fastidiosa. M. M. Lopez, IVIA-Spain
  • fastidiosa and the etiology of Olive Quick Decline Syndrome in Italy. G. P. Martelli & F. Nigro, UNIBA-Italy
  • Main insect vectors worldwide & in Italy. Porce Porcellilli, UNIBA-Italy
  • State of the art of the research on fastidiosa in Apulia. M. Saponari, CNR-Bari –Italy
  • Breaking news of fastidiosa, an emerging plant pathogen in France. M. A. Jacques, INRA-France
  • Experimental field trials for the control of fastidiosa and the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome. M. Scortichini, CREA-Caserta; A. 7) Carlucci, UNIFG

Session 2         International collaboration and projects

Chairman  S. Aldobai, FAO Near East

  • From science to policy: the contributions of EPPO and Euphresco Giovani, EPPO
  • The EU project ‘Pest Organisms Threatening Europe’ (POnTE). BOSCIA, CNR-Bari-Italy
  • How can the IPPC International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures can provide guidance for fastidiosa? J. Xia , IPPC Secretariat
  • Risk assessment of fastidiosa in the EU territory and other EFSA activities. C. Bragard, Université Catholique de Louvain-Belgique
  • A Pest Risk Analysis on fastidiosa for the countries of the NEPPO, focusing on the strain infecting olive. M. Chouibani, Near East Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO)
  • Presentation of the FAO Near East project.Al-Dobai, FAO Near East
  • Overview of the activities and projects of the International Olive Council. Ghedira, International Olive Council (IOC)

Session 3         Legislative aspects

Chairwoman  C. Bullon, FAO LEGN

  • Obligations and responsibilities under the IPPC. Bullon, FAO LEGN
  • EU Legislation on quarantine pests.Arijs, Deputy Head of the Plant Health Unit, DG SANTE, European Commission
  • Italian Decree for the mandatory control of fastidiosa. B. Faraglia, MiPAAF-Italy
  • Application of the Italian Decree in Apulia.Schito, Apulia Region-Italy
  • Presentations on legislations in Mediterranean countries and implications for trade from Mediterranean expert
  • Certification of plant propagating material. Savino, UNIBAItaly

Session 4        Surveillance and diagnostic methods I

Chairman   M. Chouibani, Near East Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO)

  • International Standard on pest surveillance. A. Moreira, IPPC Secretariat
  • EPPO Standards related to X. Fastidiosa. B. Giovani, EPPO
  • Symptoms description and host species. D. Boscia, CNR-Bari-Italy
  • The innovative surveillance system for X. fastidiosa in Apulia A.M. D’Onghia, CIHEAM/MAIB-Italy
  • The remote sensing approach for early surveillance. S. Gualano, CIHEAM/MAIB-Italy
  • The Android device XylApp for field data acquisition. F. Santoro, CIHEAM/MAIB-Italy
  • Sampling procedures. F. Valentini, CIHEAM/MAIB-Italy; F. Porcelli, UNIBA-Italy
  • Organization of ring tests on diagnostic methods among Italian and Apulian laboratories. S. Loreti, CREA Rome; G. Loconsole, UNIBA-Italy

 

Session 5        Surveillance and diagnostic methods II

Chairwoman   A. M. D’Onghia, CIHEAM/MAIB-Italy

  • Demonstration of field data acquisition. Technical support from CIHEAM/MAIB, CNR-Bari, UNIBA, CRSFA

 

Session 6        Surveillance and diagnostic methods III

Chairwoman  M. Barba, CREA Rome

  • Innovative diagnostic methods: real time LAMP & DTBIA. Yaseen & K. Djelouah CIHEAM/MAIB-Italy
  • Demonstration of DTBIA and real time LAMP . Technical support from CIHEAM/MAIB, CNR-Bari, UNIBA, CRSFA

 

Session 7       From knowledge to implementation, the need for capacity development

Chairwoman  S. Brunel, IPPC Secretariat

 

  • Experiences of awareness raising and capacity development initiatives in the Mediterranean basin from Mediterranean experts
  • The elements of successful capacity development for X. fastidiosa. S. Brunel, IPPC Secretariat
    • Algeria
    • Lebanon
    • Libya
    • Palestine
    • Tunisia