China & Italy work together to fight kiwifruit bacterial cancer

After a previous agreement signed in the past years (exchanging of PhD students, researchers), a team consisting of Prof ZHU Li Wu, Anhui Agricultural University, China, and Dr BALESTRA of DAFNE Department, University of Tuscia, Italy, reinforced their scientific collaboration during last two weeks. Different meetings with Chinese local government, cooperatives and scientists, have been developed.

The relevance to improve the collaboration referred to different aspects of Kiwifruit bacterial canker, caused by the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (PSA), in China as well as in other relevant Kiwifruit countries worldwide, have been remarked.

The studies of genetic diversity analysis of PSA population, epidemiology, and breeding resistant cultivar as well as the disease control strategy are the main activities that will be implemented during next years. As in Italy/EU, several other countries out of EU are involved to support the kiwifruit chain to reduce damages caused by PSA as to clarify different aspects related to Kiwifruit bacterial canker pandemics. Among them, Chinese scientists wish to give a concrete contribution and the particularly useful collaboration results. Some results already obtained by this collaboration will be presented at the First International Symposium on Bacterial Canker in Kiwifruit (PSA), November 2013 in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.

For more information:
Prof. Liwu Zhu, Director of Horticulture Department
Key Laboratory of Pomology
Anhui Agricultural University
Tel: 86 551 5786607
Mobile: 86 13956988479
Fax: 86 551 5786607
Email: zhuliwu6128@sina.com