E-SPACE a project for the epidemiological surveillance of Mediterranean and tropical crops

E-SPACE is a flagship program of Agropolis Fondation leaded by Claire Neema (Montpellier Supagro – UMR BGPI)

This program aims at improving the knowledge of pathological and epidemiological processes underlying plant disease emergence, and designing innovative approaches for monitoring early warning and crop protection. It will provide national and regional plant epidemiosurveillance programs with key -data and key -tools for continuously adapting them to the evolving challenges of emerging plant diseases.

It falls into 4 workckages :

WP1 – Understanding bioinvasion pathways – P. Lefeuvre & V. Ravigné

WP2 – Understanding epidemiological dynamics and adaptive changes underlying the emergence of plant diseases – O. Pruvost & G. Thébaut

WP3 – Understanding biotic factors associated with the non-emergence or emergence of pathogens – P. Roumagnac, C Tollenaere & C. Vernière

WP4 – Promoting the diffusion of scientific results to stakeholders

Several post-doc and PhD opportunities as well as workshops are open. Visit E-SPACE website.

After along journey, salmons eventually reach their goal

The work I initiated 8 years ago on the population genetics of salmon populations from the Adour catchment is being accepted for publication in Conservation genetics. Many thanks to Jean-Claude and Jérôme, who continued the project after my departure for CIRAD, as well as Charles, for his critical input on the finalization of the paper. Here is the abstract:

Restoration and maintenance of habitats connectivity are major challenges in conservation biology. These aims are especially critical in the case of migratory species using corridors that can be obstructed by anthropogenic barriers. Here, we explored the genetic origin and diversity of Atlantic salmon () recolonizing upstream areas of the largest South European Atlantic salmon population (Adour drainage, France) following restoration of connectivity and stocking. We genotyped at 12 microsatellite loci 924 individuals sampled either in downstream areas or in recently reconnected and recolonized upstream locations. We found a significant fine scale genetic structure, with three main genetic clusters corresponding to the Nive, Nivelle and Gaves rivers. Within each of these clusters, samples collected in formerly inhabited and in recently recolonized areas had comparable allelic richness and effective population sizes and were weakly differentiated. Genetic structure among basins was also similar when comparing formerly inhabited or in recently recolonized areas. The majority of the individuals sampled in newly accessible habitats were assigned to neighboring downstream sites, but noticeable proportions of fish were assigned to more faraway sites or identified as putative hybrids. Overall, this study suggests that the restoration of the accessibility to upstream areas can allow the recolonization and effective reproduction of Atlantic salmon from proximate downstream sites, with neither a decrease of local diversity nor disruption of existing genetic structure.

New paper: a plant pathogen in its native area

Happy to annouce that my first paper with the marvellous Xanteam (Reunion Island) is accepted for publication.

The paper is by: C.Vernière, Lan Bui Thi Ngoc, Philippe Jarne, Virginie Ravigné, Fabien Guérin, Lionel Gagnevin, N. Le Mai, N.M. Chau and Olivier Pruvost and it is entitled: Highly polymorphic markers reveal the establishment of an invasive lineage of the citrus bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas citri pv. citri in its area of origin.

It will be soon be available in Environmental Microbiology Reports.