The Parliamentary Under - Secretary of State , Right Honourable Lord Henley , has announced funding for a major bacterial flora disease enquiry computer program supported by UK Research and Innovation ’s Strategic Priorities Fund .

The first stage of this investiture initiates a UK - extensive pool to prepare for the possible introduction and spread of the devastating plant pathogen   Xylella fastidiosa   into the UK .

BRIGIT , a pool co - coordinate by the John Innes Centre , will work to enhance UK surveillance and response to   Xylella fastidiosa . BRIGIT bring together ten leading UK inquiry organization , in a £ 4.85 m programme point to improve methods of diagnosis and sleuthing of Xylella , to identify factors that could lead to its spread , and to prepare to minimize the risk of the pathogen to the UK .

The bacterial plant diseases programme is a £ 17.7 m quislingism between UK Research and Innovation Councils , the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council ( BBSRC ) and the Natural Environment Research Council ( NERC ) – together with the Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra ) and the Scottish Government who are providing £ 1.1 mebibyte of extra financial support .

Professor Nicola Spence , Chief Plant Health Officer and Deputy Director for works and bee health at Defra said : “ I am charmed that UKRI , together with co - funders Defra and the Scottish Government , has agreed to fund this crucial inquiry which will help us to considerably control bacterial plant diseases in the future . Protecting the UK ’s industrial plant from pests and disease remains one of my Department ’s high anteriority , and we need racy skill to underpin our action to combat these threats .

Xylella fastidiosa   is one such bacterial disease and will shape the focus of the first phase of the research program . The knowledge gained through this programme should attend us in further optimising our on-going surveillance and guarantee that our contingency plans are underpinned by the most up - to - date grounds available . ”

Xylella   has been described by the European Commission as “ one of the most grave plant bacteria worldwide . ” This insect - transmitted bacterial plant life pathogen infect 500 species include crops , ornamental industrial plant , and trees . In Italy alone , over one million olive trees are die from   Xylella   in a disease called Olive Quick Decline Syndrome . So far ,   Xylella   has not been reported in the UK .

Professor Saskia Hogenhout , project leader at the John Innes Centre and principal investigator of BRIGIT , says : “ Despite the impingement of this disease , we have it away very little about how the bacteria might scatter in Northern Europe ; the majority of enquiry on   Xylella   and its insect vectors has been done in strong southerly climates . We believe this pool is much - need , bringing a join - up approach to harness a potentially devastating plant life disease . ”

take more at the HTA website .