Continuous Pest Surveillance and Monitoring Constitute a Tool for Sustainable Agriculture: Case of Xylella fastidiosa in Morocco

Kaoutar El Handi, Majida Hafidi, Miloud Sabri, Michel Frem, Maroun El Moujabber, Khaoula Habbadi, Najat Haddad, Abdellatif Benbouazza, Raied Abou Kubaa and El Hassan Achbani
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Kaoutar El Handi: Laboratoire de Biotechnologie Végétale et Valorisation des Bio-Ressources, Faculté des Sciences, Université Moulay Ismail, Meknes 11201, Morocco
Majida Hafidi: Laboratoire de Biotechnologie Végétale et Valorisation des Bio-Ressources, Faculté des Sciences, Université Moulay Ismail, Meknes 11201, Morocco
Miloud Sabri: Laboratory of Phyto-Bacteriology and Biocontrol, Plant Protection Unit-National Institute of Agronomic Research INRA, Meknes 50000, Morocco
Michel Frem: CIHEAM Bari, Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo, Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Bari, Italy
Maroun El Moujabber: CIHEAM Bari, Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo, Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Bari, Italy
Khaoula Habbadi: Laboratory of Phyto-Bacteriology and Biocontrol, Plant Protection Unit-National Institute of Agronomic Research INRA, Meknes 50000, Morocco
Najat Haddad: Laboratory of Plant, Animal and Agro-Industry Productions, Faculty of Sciences, University Ibn Toufail, Kenitra 14000, Morocco
Abdellatif Benbouazza: Laboratory of Phyto-Bacteriology and Biocontrol, Plant Protection Unit-National Institute of Agronomic Research INRA, Meknes 50000, Morocco
Raied Abou Kubaa: Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile Delle Piante, Sede Secondaria di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy
El Hassan Achbani: Laboratory of Phyto-Bacteriology and Biocontrol, Plant Protection Unit-National Institute of Agronomic Research INRA, Meknes 50000, Morocco

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-7

Abstract: Climate and trade changes are reshaping the cartographic distribution of lethal pervasive pathogens. Among serious emerging challenges is Xylella fastidiosa ( Xf ), a xylem-limited phytopathogenic bacterium that produces losses and damages to numerous crops of high economic and agronomic importance. Lately, this grave quarantine pathogen has expended its distribution by arriving to several European countries and infecting both wild and cultivated plants, and no cure has been identified so far. Countries without current outbreaks like Morocco, need to monitor theirs crops frequently because detecting diseases in the early stages may reduce the huge losses caused by Xf. For that purpose, inspections were managed in different regions in Morocco from March 2020 to July 2021 to assess the presence of Xf in several growing areas of vulnerable economic crops (i.e., almond, citrus and olive). To extend the likelihood of detection, hosts have been inspected and sampled randomly over different environments including symptomatic and asymptomatic plants. Each sample was screened for the existence of Xf by using the DAS-ELISA commercial kit, while, further analyses were carried out for doubtful samples, by PCR. Results of both tests did not show any positive sample in the investigated areas. This finding is an update on the Xf situation in Morocco and confirms that this country is still a free territory from this bacterium, at least in the monitored regions.

Keywords: DAS-ELISA; diagnosis; PCR; Xylella fastidiosa; sustainable agriculture; Morocco (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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