Good knowledge of plant pathogens is pivotal for the sustainable protection and management of trees and ecosystems

The Forest Pathology research group performs basic and applied research encompassing biotic and abiotic diseases of trees – including declines and diseases caused by complex factors – both in the forest and urban settings.
While research include the development of biological, chemical and integrated disease management programs against forest pathogens, in the last years it has been mostly focused on the biology, ecology, epidemiology and genetics of fungal plant pathogens, and on the epidemiology of invasive plant pathogens in natural ecosystems. Research interests also include phytopathological modeling and pest risk assessment.

In this field, recent results include:

• the discovery in Europe of an North American fungal species deemed as the most important disease agent of conifers worldwide
• the elucidation of the invasion biology of this exotic pathogen and of the patterns of hybridization with a native fungal species.

The Forest Pathology research group also worked on the development of molecular diagnostic methods for the early detection and identification of root and stem rot fungi in standing trees, which are now used in practice by arborists and urban foresters to accurately define the tree failure risk within tree stability assessment programs.

• GP/EFSA/PLANTS/2022/02 Entrusting support tasks in the area of Plant health Risk Assessment. Lot 4. Pest Categorisation. Fungi, oomycetes and bacteria. Forestry. Agreement Number GP/EFSA/PLANTS/2022/02 – 05. 2023 -2027 (Principal Investigator)
• Linee guida per il monitoraggio e la gestione delle emergenze fitosanitarie nelle foreste delle Alpi centrooccidentali (MONGEFITOFOR) (Id. 540693), Progetto EU_Programma di cooperazione INTERREG V-A Italia Svizzera 2014-2020. 2019-2022 (Partner)
• Effective Management of Pests and Harmful Alien Species - Integrated Solutions (EMPHASIS). EU Project Horizon 2020. Grant Agreement n. 634179. 2015-2019 (Partner)
• Valutazione degli effetti di funghi fitopatogeni e insetti fitofagi invasivi su piante, patogeni, fitofagi e simbionti nativi / Assessing the impacts of invasive fungal pathogens and phytophagous insects on native plants, pathogens, phytophagous insects and symbionts. Progetto FIRB 2012 (Futuro in Ricerca), Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca. Protocollo: RBFR128ONN. 2013-2016 (Coordinamento Scientifico Nazionale)
• Impatto ecologico, epidemiologia e misure di contenimento della specie esotica nordamericana di Heterobasidion, di recente segnalazione negli ecosistemi forestali Italiani. Progetto PRIN 2008 (Progetto di Ricerca di Interesse Nazionale), Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca. Protocollo: 2008SBCC9S. 2010-2012 (Coordinamento Scientifico Nazionale).

• Pellicciaro M., Lione G., Giordano L., Gonthier P. (2021). Biocontrol potential of Pseudomonas protegens against Heterobasidion species attacking conifers in Europe. Biological Control 157, 104583
• Lione G., Giordano L., Turina M., Gonthier P. (2020). Hail-induced infections of the chestnut blight pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica depend on wound size and may lead to severe diebacks. Phytopathology 110, 1280-1293
• Gonthier P. (2019). Frequency of stump infections by Heterobasidion annosum s.l. and benefits from urea treatments vary with tree species and season in European Alpine forests. Forest Ecology and Management 434, 76-86
• Giordano L., Sillo F., Garbelotto M., Gonthier P. (2018). Mitonuclear interactions may contribute to fitness of fungal hybrids. Scientific Reports 8, 1706
• Zampieri E., Giordano L., Lione G., Vizzini A., Sillo F., Balestrini R., Gonthier P. (2017). A nonnative and a native fungal plant pathogen similarly stimulate ectomycorrhiza formation but are perceived differently by a fungal symbiont. New Phytologist 213, 1836-1849

Prof. Matteo Garbelotto, University of California - Dept. Environmental Science, Policy and Management - Berkeley (USA) 
Prof. Libor Jankovský,  Mendel University - Dept. of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management - Brno (Czech Republic) Dr. Daniel Rigling, Dr. Simone Prospero - Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) - Birmensdorf (Switzerland)