Objective
PataFEST aims to research biological and technological solutions to prevent the ecological spread of the pest caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso) in potato crops (Solanum tuberosum), responsible for a disease known as zebra chip.
Activities
- Characterise at molecular level the ecological spread pathway of the pest and identify potato varieties resistant to CLso and post-harvest pathogens.
- Provide effective pre-harvest plant and soil treatments against the CLso vector and soil-borne pathogens, combined with other cutting-edge digital technologies, such as image analysis tools (mobile application) and artificial intelligence predictive models.
- Develop post-harvest technologies (biocontrol coating solution, controlled-atmosphere storage and volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors) to control the incidence of soil pathogens and maintain the quality of stored potato tubers.
Dissemination/Transfer
