Annual progress report - Cost 873

Monitoring Progress Report – 2009
COST 873 – Bacterial Diseases of Stone Fruits and Nuts
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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.
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