Translational phytopathology

Our approach is typical multidisciplinary with a focus on perennial crops and always has an application horizon. Therefore, we disentangle for instance the banana – Fusarium interaction by comparing fungal genomes and identifying key effectors and constructing their global diversity to rationalise breeding strategies. Another example is the quest for the cause of “avariato” in hazel, a disease that affects the quality of the nuts.

Here, we survey the occurrence of biotic agents, such as fungi and bacteria, in the light of abiotic factors and aerial mapping to eventually guarantee a healthy crop. Hence, our research addresses fundamental questions in plant pathology, considers its impact on society and is frequently embedded in public-private-partnerships.