The BRIGIT consortium have designated the first week of March 2021 as ‘Xylella Awareness Week’.

The aim of Xylella Awareness Week is to share the progress made by the consortium, and to engage with different audiences to discuss risk factors associated with the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa if it were introduced into the UK.

We’ll hold online activities (named workshops) on four mornings 2 – 5 March 2021.

We invite plant health inspectors, the horticulture trade, botanic gardens, environmental groups and members of the public to sign up for these events. The planned activities are presented in collaboration with Defra, the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate, the Horticultural Trades Association and PlantNetwork.

Why is Xylella Awareness Week important?

Xylella is a bacterial pathogen that was fairly recently introduced into Europe where it is spread by spittlebugs. This bacterial pathogen infects more than 500 plant, shrub and tree species, causing leaf scorch, wilt, die-back and in some cases plant death. There is no known cure for the disease. Xylella is not currently present in the UK.

The BRIGIT project is working to improve our understanding of the disease so that the UK is better prepared should it be introduced.

An important part of this preparedness is to share knowledge generated in the BRIGIT project with stakeholder groups so that we can work together to reduce the chance of Xylella arriving and to be able to respond quickly should it be introduced.

Who are the workshops for?

• Workshops 1 and 2 (2 and 3 March) are for plant health inspectors
• Workshop 3 (4 March) is for the horticulture trade, including nursery owners, landscapers, plant buyers and specifiers
• Workshops 4 (5 March) is for those who work at or volunteer with botanic and public gardens, environmental and conservation groups and other interested members of the public

Each session will be hosted virtually, and will be approximately three hours long.

The workshops will include a range of talks, activities, videos and discussion sessions. You do not need to prepare any materials for the workshops.

When are the workshops?  

All workshops run from 9:30 – 12:30/12:45 on the 2 – 5 March 2021.

• Workshop 1 – 2 March – experienced plant health inspectors with >5 years experience (invited attendees only)
• Workshop 2 – 3 March – new plant health inspectors (invited attendees only)
• Workshop 3 – 4 March – horticulture trade, including nursery owners, landscapers, plant buyers and specifiers (Agenda – pdf download)
  Registration for this workshop will open soon. Register for workshop 3, hosted by BRIGIT/John Innes Centre.
• Workshop 4 – 5 March – botanic and public gardens, environmental and conservation groups and interested members of the public – (Agenda – pdf download)
  This workshop is hosted by the Plant Network – registration is now open. Please note that this workshop will be recorded.

All workshops and activities are being hosted virtually. You do not need to prepare any materials for the workshops.

Workshops 1 and 2 are open to invited attendees only.

To attend workshop 3 or 4 you must register using the links below.

• Register to attend Workshop 3 – horticulture trade, including nursery owners, landscapers, plant buyers and specifiers
• Register to attend Workshop 4 – botanic and public gardens, environmental and conservation groups and interested members of the public – via the Plant Network website

Image courtesy of Dirección General de Agricultura y Ganadereía – Govern Balear/Serveis de Millora Agrària- Govern Balear