New Perspectives in Phytoplasma Disease Management

The goal of COST action FA0807 “Integrated Management of Phytoplasma Epidemics in Different Crop Systems” is to promote information exchange in order to design integrated management strategies to protect crops from phytoplasmas-associated disease toward the sustainable production of high-quality plant products by reducing pesticide use, resulting in less residues in fresh market products. Phytoplasmas are insect-transmitted plant pathogenic prokaryotes associated with serious diseases in important crops such as grapevine, vegetables, corn, sugar beet, oil-seed crops and fruit trees. New approaches for disease management, improved diagnostic methods; reduction of disease spread; improvement of insect-vector monitoring and a reduction in the pesticides used for control were achieved and harmonized. The COST action FA0807 is composed of four working groups: WG 1: Early detection and diagnostics WG 2: Epidemiology and vector ecology WG 3: Crop systems and control WG 4: Phytoplasma/host interactions This workshop aims to disseminate the information collected in the COST network to plant protection services, plant health inspectors, advisors and growers. The most recent information obtained with special attention to the management of phytoplasma diseases were collected and presented (WG2-WG3).