Bexyl Project

The “5th conference on Xylella fastidiosa”, which will provide the platform for the presentation and discussion of the BeXyl Project’s results, is approaching.

But before that, BeXyl researchers will meet stakeholders in Brussels.

The date is 20 May, from 9:00 to 15:00, and the location is the Delegation of the Andalucia Region in the EU capital. During the conference, entitled “Science, innovation and action against Xylella fastidiosa in Europe”, the BeXyl Project will present its findings and conclusions to stakeholders.

For more information: [email protected]

During the week of 2–6 March in Colombia, the BeXyl partner University of Costa Rica ran a training workshop on the diagnosis of Xylella fastidiosa for the Andean Community (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia).
Peru and Colombia declared the presence of Xylella last year. During the event, Carlos Chacón Díaz from the University of Costa Rica spoke about raising awareness of the risks posed by Xylella fastidiosa and the work that BeXyl is doing to find practical solutions to this problem.

The news item from the Colombian Institute of Agriculture and Livestock: https://www.ica.gov.co/noticias/ica-fortalece-capacidades-xylellafastidiosa

Why is the ‘Leccino’ olive cultivar more resistant to Xylella fastidiosa than others?

BeXyl Practice Abstract 6 explores the genetic and immune determinants of resistance by comparing the highly susceptible ‘Ogliarola salentina’ with the resilient ‘Leccino’.

Key Insights:
✅ Genomic Mapping: Generation of high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assemblies for both cultivars.
✅ Immune Receptors: Identification of key differences in immune receptor gene families that may trigger defense responses.
✅ Functional Tools: Development of olive stem tissue and cell culture systems to test defense mechanisms in the lab.

Impact:
These resources support the breeding of new resistant cultivars and promote the long-term resilience of Mediterranean agroecosystems.

Understanding the molecular basis of resistance is a fundamental step toward sustainable management of Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS).

Read the full abstract collection here:
https://bexylproject.org/outcomes/documents/practice-abstracts