Bacterial diseases of stone fruits & nuts

COST Action 873Start date: 20/12/2006

End date: 19/12/2011

Brion Duffy, ChairAgroscope Changins-Wädenswil, Switzerland

www.cost873.chTanja Dreo, Vice-Chair

National Institute of Biotechnology, Slovenia

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Targeted Scientific ObjectivesMotivation – Serving an EU-wide need• Stone fruit and nut trees are major economic crops with added-

value for rural agriculture sustainability, cultural heritage cornerstones, quality-of-life landscape monuments.

• Tree health-productivity is threatened by endemic and invasive bacterial diseases. Chronic-Emerging-Biosecurity

COST FA873 Mission • Stimulate solid research results to control these diseases and

preserve sustainable production across Europe.

• Coordinate scientist-phytosanitary inspection-industry stakeholders to deliver implementable, integrated control strategies.

• Provide training opportunities to mentor a next generation of plant protection specialists.

www.cost873.chwww.cost873.ch

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International Engagement

Action Parties – 2007-2011

21 23 26 29 31

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Research objectives – WG mission

• Diagnostic methods – develop, optimise, validate reliable, sensitive, simple tools

www.cost873.chwww.cost873.ch

WG1 - WG1 - Diagnostics & Early DetectionDiagnostics & Early Detection

• Biocontrol / safe chemicals Biocontrol / safe chemicals – discover, develop, integrate disease management tools– discover, develop, integrate disease management tools

• Facilitate market entry Facilitate market entry – resistant varieties, evaluate efficacy/biosafey for – resistant varieties, evaluate efficacy/biosafey for registrationregistration

• Pathogen genetics/biology/ecology Pathogen genetics/biology/ecology – elucidate prey to design better control strategies – elucidate prey to design better control strategies (i.e., identify (i.e., identify pathogen Achilles heelpathogen Achilles heel!)!)

• Phytosanitary technology transfer Phytosanitary technology transfer – – new diseasesnew diseases, , new disease forecasting modelsnew disease forecasting models, , streamline plant inspection/monitoring to prevent and contain disease threats streamline plant inspection/monitoring to prevent and contain disease threats

WG2 – Disease WG2 – Disease Prevention & EpidemiologyPrevention & Epidemiology

WG3 – Tree WG3 – Tree Host Resistance & BreedingHost Resistance & Breeding

WG4 – Sustainable WG4 – Sustainable Control StrategiesControl Strategies

• Plant resistance resources Plant resistance resources – identify new sources by – identify new sources by mining germplasm collectionsmining germplasm collections

• SMART breeding SMART breeding – – apply genetics/genomics apply genetics/genomics to develop molecular markersto develop molecular markers

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Innovative networking – new collaborations

• 27 meetings27 meetings

• More break-out sessions; fewer lecturesMore break-out sessions; fewer lectures

• Match-make – identify needs, potential and expertise of members, Match-make – identify needs, potential and expertise of members, then bring people togetherthen bring people together

• Focus on helping fill member needs to gain technology, fulfil Focus on helping fill member needs to gain technology, fulfil ‘home’ obligations‘home’ obligations

• Invest time to bring groups together that previously competedInvest time to bring groups together that previously competed

• Establish links/joint events with other Actions, intl organisationsEstablish links/joint events with other Actions, intl organisations

• Actively recruit interdisciplinary expertiseActively recruit interdisciplinary expertise

• Invest effort to facilitate stakeholder participation … not easyInvest effort to facilitate stakeholder participation … not easy

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Leveraging COST873 for R&D funding

• 3 Euphresco pilot projects

• www.Qdetect.org & www.Qbol.org

• >20 National projects linked directly to COST873

• Upcoming: 3 KBBE, 1 Marie Curie ITN, EU Infrastructures proposal based on COST873

• Swiss funding scheme; COST lobbying;

• need to find ways to support Chair, and key members as engines of Action

• Ask, listen and leverage members’ existing project fundingAsk, listen and leverage members’ existing project funding

• Take time to study national funding schemes, then help membersTake time to study national funding schemes, then help members

www.qdetect.org

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Promoting diversity & career development

18 (6%) - racial minorities 7 (2%) - LGBT (*out, open)

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Training

13 Training Courses

Including 1st European event on biosecurity threat Xylella

Expert STSMs

41 STSMs – linked to research

>20 non-COST funded scientist exchanges

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Working together with stakeholdersCommittee of Practioners

Strong links developed with international stakeholder organisations

Dedicated platform to facilitate dialogue between research and stakeholders

• effective transfer of research advances to end-users• offer platform for end-user input to focus research efforts that meet real needs

OECD BioPesticides Steering Group – COST873 members with regulatory impact. Organised 2 joint OECD/COST policy support conferences

EPPO – COST873 members with regulatory impact. Organised 2 joint EPPO/COST training schools for phytosanitary inspectors.>14 national training events.

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Use of COST Instruments

Activity (No.) Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

MC/WG Meetings (27) 4 6 4 10 3

STSMs (41) 2 2 11 11 15

Training Schools (13) 1 2 3 2 5

Workshops/Conferences (14) 3 5 1 3 3

Joint Publications (63)2 peer-reviewed special issues >190 more linked to COST873

8 7 10 14 24

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Dissemination

www.cost873.ch

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• Make the effort to get to know your members & build relationships

• Ask members about their obligations back home – then find ways to help out (e.g., find collaborators)

• Ask, listen and leverage members’ existing project funding

• Match-make – identify needs, potential and expertise of members, then bring people together

• Invest time to bring groups together that previously competed

• Take time to study national funding schemes, then help members

Lessons learned – tips for Chairs

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• Offer safe environment for democratic input from any and all

• But – give hands-on, decisive leadership as needed to stay on track

• Define goals & deliverables for all activities

• Delegate specific task forces to enthusiastic, competent members

• More break-out sessions and fewer lectures at meetings

Cheerlead if you want to motivate & maintain momentum

Lessons learned – tips for Chairs

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Lessons learned – tips for COST

Action exchanges to explore cooperation potential External fund to facilitate trans-COST Action exchanges, particularly regarding inter-disciplinary exploratory efforts

Flexible funding of mobility activities

•Surveys in non-COST countries

•Expert courses in COST & non-COST countries

•Harmonized, streamlined & timely process for participation of non-COST countries to Action activities

Portal or DC involvement to help Chairs ID key partners (e.g., from prior Actions, EU sphere, industry, etc.) – Chairs welcome this interjection!

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Lessons learned – tips for COST

COST Press•One-2-One meetings of COST Office with Action Chairs/participants to identify and develop news items

•Expecting Chairs to just feed this material does not work

•Utilize Action ‘stars’ as COST ‘ambassadors’ to intl meetings – Sci, political, etc.

•Reserve a fund to send participants to high-profile, impact events to promote COST and relieve SO/Rapp load

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R&D funding•Identify ways to leverage COST as a lobby to access EU & national funding

•Tangible link of COST interests with ERA-Nets, EUREKA, Marie Curie

•Provide a COST portal for info on EU, international, national funding calls

Lessons learned – tips for COST

Utilize COST participant loyalty and experience•Actively engage participants/Chairs to improve process; involce CSO, DC, Chairs, members

•Deploy Chairs/members as COST ‘ambassadors’

•Support consultancy of experienced members with applicants & new Chairs

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Lessons learned – tips for COST

Reporting•Active involvement of Sci Off & Rapporteur throughout Action activities not just final meetings•Automatic invitations to SO and Rapp for all Action events; funded by COST Office not Action budgets•Consistent reporting forms throughout Action tenure•Better definition of reporting criteria and expectations•Chair training forum to ensure appropriate reporting and gathering of data from Action participants

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New ApplicationsCOST fills a major gap, but needs to improve application process in order to avoid the FP7 ‘luck of the draw’ perception that frustrates researchers, industry, policy and NGO stakeholders.

•Better definition of application criteria to ensure higher success rate for those that follow transparent guidelines

•This doesn’t mean anything is funded, but success rate must be higher

•Earlier involvement of DC in selection process to co-ordinate with other FP instruments, target gaps – complementarity of applications

•Avoid duplication & overlap in running Actions

•Shorter applications, topic only pre-proposals (1 page); recruited applicants

Lessons learned – tips for COST

2020

• Accomplished 16 of the 19 S&T tasks set out in the MoU• Achieved breakthroughs that move us forward towards controlling disease

and elevate the stature of European phytobacteriology• Revitalised, expanded and linked European networks of phytobacteriology,

phytosanitary and plant breeding groups• Fostered innumerable, new personal and professional relationships• Promoted the personal & career development of ESRs & women• Strengthened European and near-neighbor phytosanitary capacity that is so

critical for agricultural biosecurity• Integrated new technology and inter-disciplinary partners into the fight

against bacterial diseases• Established a solid platform for constructive dialogue between research and

stakeholders

Self evaluation – Successes

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• Didn’t reach our ultimate goal of producing a synthesis orchard management scheme; were late to involve non-COST experts

• Failed to integrate all the non-COST partners we wanted (e.g., Caucauses region), late bringing in Ukraine

• Fell short on attempts to change regulatory policy for biocontrol agents• Fell short on attempts on funding efforts to link European culture collections;

same for plant germplasm collections • Didn’t satisfy ambitions for media and general public impact

• Chair stumbled on getting certain countries to engage fully• Chair failed to resolve the chronic difficulty of Actions to obtain information on

national output & activities for reporting• Chair didn’t deliver the level of publicity Action achievements deserved

Self evaluation – Weaknesses

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Networking - Action PartiesNetworking - Action Parties

Grant Holder

Institute: Agroscope

Scientific Representative: B. Duffy

GH Country: Switzerland