Bexyl Project

03/08/2026

How can we protect European crops from Xylella fastidiosa while reducing reliance on chemical treatments? 🌿🔬

In this double interview recorded at the BeXyl meeting in Bari, Domenico Bosco (University of Turin, WP5 Leader) and Enrique Quesada-Moraga (University of Córdoba, WP5 Co-Leader) share the major achievements of Work Package 5.

WP5 focuses on environmentally and economically sound solutions to control insect vectors and disrupt disease transmission through innovative, nature-backed tools:

🧫 Entomopathogenic Fungi: Testing native fungal strains from olive groves against vector nymphs and adults.
🌱 Endophytic Action: Using fungi inside plants to disrupt vector feeding behavior and transmission.
🦟 Biological Control: Exploring native natural enemies, egg parasitoids, and insect viruses.
🌾 Ground Cover Management: Evaluating plant species to naturally lower vector densities in orchards.

Watch the full interview to learn more! 🎥👇

24/07/2026

Can resistant plants safeguard the future of European agriculture against Xylella fastidiosa? 🌿🧬🛡️

This interview features Ofir Bahar (Volcani Institute / ARO, Israel) explaining how BeXyl’s Work Package 4 is leveraging genomics and breeding to combat plant disease.

In this video, Ofir highlights how WP4 is turning genetic resistance into a powerful long-term solution:
• Identifying Resistant Cultivars: Searching for new resistant varieties in olives, almonds, and other host crops—building on proven cases like the Leccino olive cultivar in Italy. 🌳

• Genomics-Assisted Breeding: Utilizing advanced genomic tools to screen germplasm and accelerate the development of new, resilient crop varieties. 🧬

• Global Impact: Developing resistant plants to give farmers effective tools to manage outbreaks across Europe and beyond. 🌍🌾

Watch the video to learn how science and genetic innovation are helping build a more resilient future for agriculture! 🎥👇

22/07/2026

Science-based solutions to protect Europe’s crops and landscapes from Xylella fastidiosa! 🌿🇪🇺

Read the opinion piece on Euractiv showcasing the main achievements of the BeXyl project:

🔍 Advanced surveillance & early detection
🧬 Resistant crop varieties & genomics
🛡️ Thermal sanitation for nurseries
🌡️ Climate impact modeling

Read the full article on Euractiv 👇

https://www.euractiv.com/opinion/bexyl-strengthens-europes-science-based-response-to-xylella-fastidiosa/



EU Science & Innovation
Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible - CSIC

EU-funded project unites 30+ partners to to strengthen Europe’s preparedness against Xylella fastidiosa, advancing early detection, surveillance host resistance, vector control and integrated management strategies to protect crops, landscapes and biodiversity. BeXyl presented its latest findings a...

21/07/2026

Can heat treatments protect nurseries and ensure Xylella-free plant trade across Europe? Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche EUROPEAN NURSERYSTOCKNotte (CNR-IPSP, Italy) and Josep M. Pagès (ENA), leaders of BeXyl’s Work Package 3. They explain how WP3 has turned thermal sanitation into a practical solution for the nursery sector:

- Protecting the Nursery Sector: Developing operational prevention tools to safeguard nursery stock and overcome trade restrictions caused by Xylella fastidiosa. 🛡️

- Targeted Sanitation: Testing hot water treatment protocols on major host species—including grapevines, olives, almonds, figs, cherries, peaches, and ornamental plants. 🍇🌳

- From Lab to Commercial Scale: Moving beyond laboratory trials to test sanitation techniques directly in quarantine facilities and commercial propagation nurseries. 🧪🏭

- Setting New Standards: Preparing a draft international standard for hot water treatments to establish science-based protocols and facilitate safe plant trade across Europe. 🇪🇺

Watch the video to see how science is helping nurseries produce safer planting material and protect European plant health!

14/07/2026

How can we stop Xylella fastidiosa before the plants even show symptoms? 🐕✈️🔍

At our final meeting in Bari, we caught up with Antonio Vicent (IVIA, Spain), coordinator of BeXyl’s Work Package 2.

In this video, Antonio explains how WP2 is transforming plant health surveillance from reactive to proactive:

Smarter Diagnostics: Detecting the bacterium at the subspecies level directly from plant tissue—skipping the slow process of isolating it in axenic media! 🧬

Eyes in the Sky: Using thermal, hyperspectral, and RGB imaging from airplanes to spot infections before they are visible to the human eye. ✈️📸

Super Sniffers: Deploying trained dogs (canine olfactory detection) to sniff out Xylella in nurseries and at border inspections. 🐕🌱

Data-Driven Policy: Designing advanced statistical models to help authorities, EPPO, and EFSA map and contain outbreaks with maximum efficiency. 📊🇪🇺

Watch the interview to see how cutting-edge technology and early detection are protecting European agriculture! 🎥👇

12/07/2026

How will climate change affect the spread of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe? 🌡️🍂

At our final meeting in Bari, we caught up with Juan A. Navas-Cortés (CSIC-IAS), leader of BeXyl’s Work Package 1.

In this video, Juan explains how WP1 is mapping the future of plant health:

Tracking new bacterial variants globally 🌎

Testing crop vulnerability under biosecurity conditions 🛡️

Tracing the origins of EU outbreaks using genomics 🧬

Simulating climate change scenarios to protect future harvests 🍇

Watch the interview to see how we are going “beyond Xylella”! 🎥👇

29/06/2026

The recording of the 32nd Xylella Seminar is now available. This session, titled "Farmer preferences for Integrated Pest Management strategies against Xylella fastidiosa: evidence from Apulia and Alicante," examines adoption patterns and stakeholder perspectives on pest control measures.

This seminar series is a joint initiative by the Bexyl Project, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and Auburn University. The recording is hosted on the "Soluciones a Xylella fastidiosa" channel, in collaboration with the PTI Sol-Xyl platform (CSIC).

Watch the seminar here: https://youtu.be/0PXyKxeS4r8

Xylella Seminar: Farmer preferences for Integrated Pest Management ...

23/06/2026

Day 2 in Bari! Researchers and policymakers from across Europe and beyond are gathering in Mola di Bari for the 5th European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa.

Proud to see some of our BeXyl Project partners right here, showcasing our latest research posters and collaborating with global experts to tackle Xylella.

Together, science and policy are driving real solutions! 🌿🔬

22/06/2026

And... It’s a wrap!
The final General Assembly and Management Board meeting of the BeXyl project has come to a close.
This meeting was instrumental in summarising four years of intense research into Xylella fastidiosa in Europe, addressing unanswered questions and testing scientific solutions to manage outbreaks of the bacterium.

Although Xylella fastidiosa continues to pose a threat to Europe, the BeXyl project has shown that collaboration between scientists, businesses and public and private innovators can deliver solutions.

The next important step is to share our results and achievements, to support future developments.
Stay tuned!