Highlights: Direct exposure of Philaenus to Metarhizium brunneum reduces its survivorship. M. brunneum successfully colonises the host plant and reduces survival of Philaenus. Philaenus reaches the xylem faster on M. brunneum-colonised plants. Xylem sap ingestion by...
Publications
Keywords
Functional Peptides for Plant Disease Control
Plant disease control requires novel approaches to mitigate the spread of and losses caused by current, emerging, and re-emerging diseases and to adapt plant protection to global climate change and the restrictions on the use of conventional pesticides. Currently,...
Detection of Xylella fastidiosa in Host Plants and Insect Vectors by Droplet Digital PCR
Spatial-temporal dynamics of spittlebug populations, together with transmission biology, are of major importance to outline the disease epidemiology of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) subsp. pauca in Apulian olive groves. The spread rate of Xf is...
Parallel host shifts in a bacterial plant pathogen suggest independent genetic solutions
While there are documented host shifts in many bacterial plant pathogens, the genetic foundation of host shifts is largely unknown. Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterial pathogen found in over 600 host plant species. Two parallel host shifts occurred—in Brazil...
Complete Circularized Genome Resources of Seven Strains of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa Using Hybrid Assembly Reveals Unknown Plasmids
Xylella fastidiosa is a vascular plant pathogenic bacterium native to the Americas that is causing significant epidemics and economic losses in olive and almonds in Europe, where it is a quarantine pathogen. Since its first detection in 2013 in Italy, mandatory...
Recent research accomplishments on early detection of Xylella fastidiosa outbreaks in the Mediterranean Basin
Xylella fastidiosa is a major transboundary plant pest, causing severe socioeconomic impacts. Development of preventive strategies and methods for surveillance, early detection, monitoring, and accurate diagnosis of X. fastidiosa and its vectors, are...
Induction of Defense Responses and Protection of Almond Plants Against Xylella fastidiosa by Endotherapy with a Bifunctional Peptide
Xylella fastidiosa is a plant pathogenic bacterium that has been introduced in the European Union (EU), causing significant yield losses in economically important Mediterranean crops. Almond leaf scorch (ALS) is currently one of the most relevant diseases...
Nicotiana benthamiana as a model plant host for Xylella fastidiosa: Control of infections by transient expression and endotherapy with a bifunctional peptide
Transient expression of genes encoding peptides BP134 and BP178 by means of a Potato virus X (PVX) based-vector system, and treatment with synthetic peptides by endotherapy, were evaluated in the control of Xylella fastidiosa infections, in the...
Bactericidal and plant defense elicitation activities of Eucalyptus oil decrease the severity of infections by Xylella fastidiosa on almond plants
The activity of Eucalyptus essential oil against eleven strains pertaining to six species of plant pathogenic bacteria was studied using growth inhibition and contact assays. All strains were susceptible to the formulation EGL2, and Xylella...
