Xylella, in Puglia the use of dogs is experimented to find the bacterium before it manifests itself
The ability to identify plants infected with Xylella early is one of the essential conditions, both to prevent the arrival of the bacterium in free territories, and to effectively counteract its advance where already present. From the collaboration between National body of Italian dog lovers (Enci), Unaprol, Coldiretti and CNR-IPSP (Institute for the Sustainable Protection of Plants) a project was born which aims to develop a very rapid and effective method of early diagnosis of the bacterium.
“Training and use of canine units in early detection of Xylella fastidiosa“, Is an experimental process aimed at studying the ability of dogs to detect and discriminate Xylella fastidiosa. The training activities, which began in June 2021 with five canine units already experienced in the detection sector, confirm the enormous potential of olfactory receptors in dogs, which have always been successfully used in the detection of drugs, explosives and pathogenic organisms. The initial training phase was carried out in Salento, testing the ability of the canine units to recognize Xylella both in artificial culture plates and in infected olive trees.
The selective training protocols, which require the achievement of a level of accuracy of 100% for each degree of advancement of the tests, have shown that the XDD – Xylella Detection Dogs – are able to identify the pathogen by identifying “the specific odor” compared to all the odors emitted by the samples used.
Now the experimentation will continue on two parallel lines: the passage from the experimental tests and from the exercises carried out under controlled conditions to those carried out in a real environment, in which the skills of the dogs will be refined in the same operational context in which the XDD units will be called to intervene, and in the identification and characterization of the volatile organic components detected by the olfaction of the dogs.
Once the training process is complete, dogs capable of identifying Xylella-infected plants even before the onset of recognizable symptoms may be enormous utility in the controls inside the nurseries and the entry points for plant imports from abroad (ports, airports, border points) and, moreover, would be a valid support in the territorial monitoring campaigns of the Phytosanitary Services.
“We are proud to be here today, on this day in which we present excellent Italian innovation on a global scale. The plan that led our canine units to recognize the Xylella bacterium in advance was born over the years through various pilot initiatives. The project is based on international parameters and on the experience carried out by the dog teams in the identification of swine fever, an activity from which the idea of developing the initiative also on the Xylella bacterium was born. The project, created by ENCI and Coldiretti with the support of the CNR, testifies to our commitment to enhance the canine functions also in the context of environmental problems “, declared the ENCI President Dino Muto.
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