UR0407 Pathologie Végétale
Projects/innovation
Current projects
FRIEND

FRIEND - TERSYS project- 2026

Problem on strawberries: Identify the agents responsible for the emergence of decline at national and global level

  • Funding: SFR TERSYS
  • Project: In south-eastern France (as in other producing regions around the world), strawberry cultivation has been facing an emerging disease for the past two years, the aetiology of which is poorly understood. Once they leave the nurseries and arrive at the growers, the plants wither, leading to yield losses. As the agents responsible for this decline have not been formally identified in France, it is not currently possible to develop effective and environmentally friendly methods of controlling the disease. 

    The FRIEND project, led by the Plant Pathology Unit and its PROPHYLE platform, in collaboration with Anses and the strawberry industry, proposes to 1) identify the pathogen(s) associated with the symptoms of decline in strawberry plants in France (the genera (Neo)Pestalotiospsis have been identified in other countries), 2) develop an inoculation test to formally link the identified pathogen(s) to the observed symptoms, and 3) publish the first description of this disease in France and communicate the knowledge acquired to the industry.

    The FRIEND project is the preliminary stage for setting up a national CASDAR project on this emerging issue affecting strawberry plants.
  • Coordinator: Unité de Pathologie végétale (centre INRAE Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Avignon)
  • Partners: 
    • Unité de Pathologie végétale (INRAE, centre Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Avignon)
    • Anses
    • Laboratoire départemental d'analyses LDA33
    • strawberry industry
  • Manager for the unit: GAUDIN Jonathan
  • Lifetime: one year (2026)

Modification date: 20 January 2026 | Publication date: 19 January 2026 | By: GAUDIN Jonathan & LEYRONAS Christel