This proposal SFS-03a-2014-aligned focuses to minimize the risk of introduction/impact of emerging pests threatening EU agriculture and forestry. The targets are: 1) Xylella fastidiosa and its vectors in olive, grapevine, citrus, stone fruit, ornamentals and landscape trees of high socio-economic importance; 2) ‘Ca. Liberibacter solanacearum’ and its vectors affecting a number of strategic crops such as potato, tomato and carrot; and 3) Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus (anomorph. Chalara fraxinea) and Phytophtora spp. seriously affecting broadleaf and conifer species in forest ecosystems. Targeted pests, their vectors and the host response will be explored using innovative approaches (NGS, transcriptomic). Diseases surveillance and epidemiology given by current methods will integrate improved survey protocols and remote sensing. Innovative IPM will include studies of microbiome to develop sustainable solutions in line with the EU plant health legislation. New knowledge gained with POnTE will result in an outcome-based pest prevention and management work plan to: a) implement area-wide pest risk assessments; b) prevent the entry and develop surveillance and early detection tools (diagnostic kits, lab-on-chip, new biomarkers); c) mitigate the spread and reduce the socio-economic impact; d) IPM based on disease resistance, disease-free seeds, cultural practices and physical environmentally-friendly treatments; e) support knowledge-based decision-making policies at EU level. The proposal fosters and promotes a multi-actor approach and transnational research collaborations among 25 Partners at the forefront of research in plant protection, agro-engineering and economics. It involves key industries/SMEs that develop diagnostic kits and services, agrochemical and seed companies, stakeholder groups. End-users will participate in the development of the project and immediately implement the practical solutions derived from the outcomes to solve these serious emerging diseases.

In the VIVALDI project the consortium will validate new equipment (the VETPOD platform) for rapid on-site detection of zoonotic pathogens in industrial food and animal production chains. The coordinator Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has developed the VETPOD platform based on Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technology and optical read-out to a user interface, with disposable plastic cartridges (Lab-on-Chip, LOC) that can be adapted to an infinite number of assays for almost all pathogens. We have a portable LOC system with optical detection: a system with polymeric chip made by injection moulded with multiple (8-32) chambers suitable for rapid online or on site detection of pathogens. The polymer chip with multiple chambers is able to perform LAMP to detect different pathogens at species level from multiple (8-30) samples within 30-60 min. We want to validate the VETPOD platform for three important zoonotic pathogens: Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (HPAIV), Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. For HPAIV this will include identification of H types (H5 and H7), for Salmonella the identification of the most important serovars S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium and S. Dublin, and for Campylobacter species identification of C. jejuni and C. coli. The validation includes two stages: 1) Validation by national reference laboratories in DK, SE, IT and FR. Each NRL will involve 10 external labs for ring trials. 2) End-user validation at private labs (SMEs) in DE and IT. The equipment provider will prepare a business plan for sale of the VETPOD system. The private labs will prepare business plans for using the VETPOD platform for at site animal health detection as well as for online detection of zoonotic pathogens in food and animal production chains.