Annual progress report - Cost 873

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Monitoring Progress Report – 2009 COST 873 – Bacterial Diseases of Stone Fruits and Nuts _________________________________________________________________________________ II. Scientific report prepared by the Chair of the Management Committee of the Action II.A. Results achieved during the period 20/12/2006 to 31/12/2009 Summary COST873 momentum has continued to increase over the first 3 years, with high participant motivation and high research activity. The Action has maintained a focused approach to aggressively implement and accomplish all of our main objectives in 1) coordinated research, 2) building links between research and stakeholder sectors, and 3) integration of young and developing scientists. In 2009, we geared up efforts to use COST873 as a conduit for recruiting international know-how for improving European expertise in phytobacteriology and plant resistance. We have formalised such collaboration with membership of 5 non-COST country institutes. Coordinated research has been accomplished through the establishment of special task forces (STF) from a bottom-up approach based on participant initiative. STFs are an innovative instrument within COST873. The current STFs have created a foundation to link active research groups which target all of the 19 specific research objectives outlined in the MoU. This approach has proven to be a successful motivation tool to accomplish joint research objectives. These STFs have also fostered new collaboration between European research groups. COST873 is increasingly becoming a „community‟, and it has been particularly beneficial for the integration and „lifting‟ of less-advanced groups. The satellite working group Committee of Practioners (CoP) established in COST873 has proven to be an effective platform for technology transfer and integration of stakeholders (plant inspectors, industry, growers). To facilitate the implementation of COST873 main objectives, a user-friendly website has enhanced communication among leading research groups in European phytobacteriology, and provided a comfortable entry portal for young scientists, stakeholders and marginalised/isolated scientists from new EU and candidate countries to integrate. The website www.cost873.ch has become also become a resource for national phytosanitary authorities in Europe. Thus far, 16 STSMs have been completed. Most of these were linked to STFs providing a structured framework for accomplishing research goals and enabling the ESRs to build longer-term relationships with experienced scientists in their field. COST873 launched a new STSM program for improved and broader outreach by deploying senior scientists to conduct training on-site. Significant research advances have been made through collaborative COST873 efforts. The complete genome sequencing Pantoea, a group of promising commercial biocontrol species, was accomplished. Genotypic comparison of biocontrol vs. clinical strains was completed and biosafety of the biocontrol agent established, fulfilling a major Task of COST873 WG4. Transferring science for European policy regulating biopesticides has begun, including cooperation with the OECD. Field trials have been conducted in France, Italy and Switzerland through COST873 and biocontrol industry cooperation. Two patents have been obtained for novel antibacterial compounds in WG4 (ES partner) and tests were started with these in 2009 in planta. The complete genome sequencing of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni was completed in cooperation between CH, FR, IT and sequencing is beginning for X.a. pv. juglandis. New groups with bioinformatics and genomics expertise have been recruited and Training Courses have been held to provide COST873 ESRs with a vital edge in this emerging field. The first molecular diagnostic methods for X. arboricola pv. pruni were developed in 2009 by partners from IT, ES and CH. Novel 12
Monitoring Progress Report – 2009 COST 873 – Bacterial Diseases of Stone Fruits and Nuts _________________________________________________________________________________ phylogentic and rapid identification technology using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry was developed for Xanthomonas and will be expanded to other groups of phytopathogenic bacteria in 2009. This involves COST873 cooperation with industry and newly recruited European bacteriologists. Advances in coordinating European stone fruit-nut germplasm resources have been made, involving international screening trials, training schools, database development, and budding cooperation with FAO/IPGIR, ISHS, and international genomics programs. II.A.a. Committee of Practioners The CoP (see below II.B.f.) was established with Dr. B. Blum (Vice-president of the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association) as its head. A diverse group of stakeholders were recruited from grower cooperatives, plant protection organizations, industry (diagnostics, consulting, biocontrol/chemical) with the specific objective to ensure the seamless transfer of technology/information between the scientific and stakeholder arms of the Action. One highlight of the CoP activities in these first two years of COST873 was to coordinate the cooperation between these stakeholders and researchers for the development of a walnut blight disease forecasting model. This is an economically-limiting disease throughout the European walnut production industry resulting in up to 70% yield loss. The current model developed in California has been tried in the past years, but has performed poorly under European conditions. An STF was established and a small-meeting of this group was held in Basel (CH). This STF has already begun to draft a EUREKA-EUROAgri+ research proposal with partners from CH, AT, FR, IT, TR, ES for submission in 2009. On May, 20-21, 2008, it was held a meeting of the CoP in Floirac, Lot, France, with participants of France, Switzerland, Italy and Spain to coordinate walnut research efforts between researchers in COST873 and grower unions and industry. The CoP Head, B. Blum, has been active in providing policy input at the EU Commission, OECD and national Ministry level (e.g., Minister meetings in France) regarding biocontrol registration policy in Europe. This is a highly-important function critical for the future of commercial biological control in Europe. A stakeholder meeting of the COST873 CoP was held in Brussels in 2009. Significant contacts with industry have been established and collaborations begun in 2009 through the CoP including efforts to initiate research funding opportunities at the National and EU levels. A large French-Spanish project was funded in cooperation with industry in 2008 and work on a walnut blight forecasting model was in high-gear in 2009. This effort has been expanded to include our new Australian participant K. Evans. She plans to use an STSM for cooperative field research in Europe in 2010. Involving grower unions has been particularly successful. For example, National Working Group for alternative products in fruit pest and disease control was initiated in France by Ctifl linking various stakeholders including the French government, research institutes, fruit experimental stations, and organic grower groups. 13
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Annual progress report - Cost 873

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