Prevent the entry and spread, of the foci already present, of quarantine diseases (Fusarium Tropical race 4, Sharka, Phtytoplams and Xyllela) in fruit trees (banana, plum, prune, peach, apple, pear, grapevine and olive) on Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries. And thus avoiding large economic losses caused by the decrease in yield, quality, eradication and control costs. Fusarium Tropical race 4 produced losses of 120 million dollars annually in bananas in Southwest Asia, Sharka in plum, prune, apricot and peach losses of 370 million dollars annually worldwide, Xyllela in grapevine 104 million dollars per year of losses in the United States and 111 million annual losses due to phtytoplams in apple trees in Italy, among others

The technological solutions that will be developed for the prevention and early detection of quarantine diseases are: HTS (high -throughput sequencing), Gene Edition, Culture in Vitro / Thermotherapy and Imaging Technology.

Pests and diseases cause large losses of the world's food supply, in turn hundreds of millions of family farmers depend on agriculture to survive. The cultivation of fruit trees is economically very important for the development of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), not only because of their nutritional quality, but also because it is a generator of jobs. There are numerous quarantine diseases that threaten the production of fruit trees in LAC countries, which have caused millions in losses in other producing regions. The growing globalization, the increase in international trade and climate change are running the borders of diseases facilitating their dispersion. On the other hand, the greater social and market conditions in the use of pesticides modulate the study of diseases that affect crops and represent a challenge in the design of new strategies for their control. The generation and application of technologies (AgTech) for the early detection and prevention of diseases in the Region, under the slogan of applying good practices of low environmental impact, represents an opportunity to prevent the entry and dissemination of new diseases, and therefore important performance losses, very high eradication costs and export-tariff barriers. This proposal proposes advancing in the generation of knowledge and development of innovative technologies to prevent the entry of absent quarantine diseases, and the dispersion of those foci already present. The project will address the following pathosystems: Banana / Fusarium Tropical race 4; Plum-Prune-Peach / Sharka (plum pox virus); Apple-Pear-Grapevine/ Phytoplasms and Grapevine-Olive / Xyllela fastidiosa, through the development of the following technological solutions: high throughput sequencing (HTS), image remote sensing, gene editing and in vitro culture / thermotherapy. Setting out as a strategy the exchange of knowledge between researchers dedicated to the subject, and other actors of the fruit chains, consolidating a collaboration network that allows to know the state of the art and the bases to consolidate a “Permanent platform for prevention and early detection of quarantine diseases in fruit trees 2020-2040 ”, in order to implement actions aimed at improving the health of fruit trees and facilitating their commercialization.

This proposal aligns with the priorities of the FONTAGRO Medium-Term Plan (PMP) 2015-2020, namely: i) technological, organizational, and institutional innovation in member countries, ii) adaptation and mitigation of climate change for disease prevention, iii) sustainable intensification of agriculture and natural resource management, and iv) value chains and competitive territories within a framework of equity and sustainability.

The main beneficiaries are the more than 77,000 producers of the fruit chains of the participating countries, their cooperatives and associations. More than 1500 commercial nurseries of fruit plants. The 5 million jobs (direct and indirect) generated by the fruit and agribusiness sector. AgTech generating companies for disease monitoring and diagnosis, control organizations and R & D & I groups of public institutions in the countries of the Region. Indirect beneficiaries are consumers, society in general and the governments of the countries of the region, given that the documents generated will allow them to update their policies and minimize risks or losses due to health problems in international marketing.