UC researchers isolate Xylella fastidiosa strains in Portugal for the first time

A research team from the Department of Life Sciences has isolated, for the first time in Portugal, several strains of Xylella fastidiosa — a quarantine pest prioritised by the European Commission due to its severe impact on agriculture.

The discovery was made in the Cova da Beira region by researchers from the Department of Life Sciences (DCV) and the FITOLAB Phytopathology Laboratory at Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN), under the coordination of Joana Costa, also affiliated with the Centre for Functional Ecology.

The team identified the fastidiosa subspecies ST1 — a genetic type associated with Pierce's disease in California vineyards. Genetic analysis suggests a single introduction event in Portugal with a Californian origin.

“This strain poses a real threat to key crops like grapevine and almond. Our results are a crucial step toward understanding and containing this pathogen,” says Joana Costa.

The research also points to wild vegetation as a possible bacterial reservoir, reinforcing the importance of environmental monitoring in agricultural regions.

The study was conducted within the scope of Eva Garcia’s PhD (UC’s Doctoral Programme in Biosciences), in collaboration with institutions in Brazil and the United States.