PRE-HLB: Preventing HLB epidemics for ensuring citrus survival in Europe
PRE-HLB goal is to develop and implement a holistic contingency plan to protect the citrus sector in the EU from HLB disease drivers and to co‐create new solutions to manage the disease through a multidisciplinary approach and in collaboration with experienced partners from America and Asia.
The EU citriculture is threatened by the emerging disease Huanglongbing (HLB, also known as Greening), currently considered the most devastating citrus disease due to its rapid dispersal, severity and fast progression of symptoms, huge losses in fruit production and quality, cost and difficulty of preventing new infections, lack of resistant commercial citrus varieties and economically feasible treatments for infected trees, and absence of durable control mechanisms. HLB is generating multimillion economic losses to most citrus industries worldwide. Now is the time to start research in the EU because the vector T. erytreae has been detected and is spreading in Spain and Portugal.
WORK PACKAGES
- Coordination
- Development of Short-term Preventive Measures
- Bioecology of Trioza Erytreae and Potential to Spread
- Study of Psyllid-Citrusbacterialinteractions
- Predictive Modelling to Develop Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) Tools
- Development of Psyllid/HLB Management Strategies
- Looking for Genetic Resistance Against HLB Causing Bacteria
- Screening and Generating Genetic Resistance
- Exploitation, Dissemination and Communication Actions
- Ethics requirements
OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES
Establish short‐term preventive actions to monitor vector spread and risk of HLB invasion in the EU, to establish efficient control measures and to set up an HLB information and communication network to discuss Pre‐HLB results with phytosanitary authorities to facilitate the development and implementation of a new EU health policy.
Setting up medium‐term mitigation actions to reduce the spread of psyllid/HLB via rapid interventions though analysis of the Insect interactions to understand the biology of the vector/disease. Development of Vector/Bacteria detection and integrated pest management strategies. Data‐ and model-based risk assessment tools adjusted to the EU and associates.
Implementing long‐term avoidance actions by biotechnological approaches, including exploitation of resistance to HLB-causing bacteria or to insect vectors, generation of genetic resistance to them, and development of new biocontrol agents.
Work Packages
- Coordination
- Development of Short-term Preventive Measures
- Bioecology of Trioza Erytreae and Potential to Spread
- Study of Psyllid-Citrusbacterialinteractions
- Predictive Modelling to Develop Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) Tools
- Development of Psyllid/HLB Management Strategies
- Looking for Genetic Resistance Against HLB Causing Bacteria
- Screening and Generating Genetic Resistance
- Exploitation, Dissemination and Communication Actions
- Ethics requirements
Work Packages
- Coordination
- Development of Short-term Preventive Measures
- Bioecology of Trioza Erytreae and Potential to Spread
- Study of Psyllid-Citrusbacterialinteractions
- Predictive Modelling to Develop Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) Tools
- Development of Psyllid/HLB Management Strategies
- Looking for Genetic Resistance Against HLB Causing Bacteria
- Screening and Generating Genetic Resistance
- Exploitation, Dissemination and Communication Actions
- Ethics requirements

CONSORTIUM
The Consortium,
on the map
PreHLB is formed by a multidisciplinary consortium led by the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Plant Biology – IBMCP (CSIC-UPV, Spain). It is a well-balanced group made up by various research centers, universities, consultancy firms and private companies from 6 different European countries (Spain, Portugal, Italy, United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands) and 3 countries of the world (Brasil, China and Israel).

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