AGRITEST SRL

Their core work

Agritest is an Italian SME specializing in plant health diagnostics, particularly the detection and management of devastating plant pathogens like Xylella fastidiosa, phytoplasma, and liberibacter. They develop and apply diagnostic tools — including LAMP-based assays — for identifying viruses and prokaryote-associated diseases in perennial crops such as olive, grapevine, citrus, and fruit trees. Their work directly supports the production of certified virus-free propagative material for nurseries and contributes to integrated pest management strategies across Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earliest H2020 work (POnTE, 2015) focused on European quarantine threats — Xylella fastidiosa in olive, Phytophtora in potato, and Hymenoscyphus in forests — reflecting the urgent EU response to the Xylella crisis in southern Italy. By 2017, their focus shifted toward grapevine virus diagnostics, certified nursery material, and integrated pest management for tropical perennial crops. This evolution shows a clear move from emergency-response pathogen surveillance toward preventive diagnostics and international crop health systems.

Agritest is expanding from European quarantine threats toward global diagnostic services for perennial crop diseases, particularly in tropical regions — making them a strong partner for international plant health initiatives.

How they like to work

Agritest participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for a specialized diagnostic SME contributing targeted technical expertise to larger research efforts. With 56 unique partners across 26 countries from just 3 projects, they operate within large, diverse international consortia. This suggests they are valued as a specialist contributor brought in for their specific diagnostic capabilities rather than for project management.

Despite only three projects, Agritest has built a remarkably broad network of 56 partners across 26 countries, spanning Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. Their network is especially strong in Mediterranean plant health research communities.

What sets them apart

Agritest sits at the intersection of molecular diagnostics and field-level plant health — a niche where few SMEs operate with comparable H2020 experience. Located in Puglia (Valenzano, near Bari), they are in the epicenter of the European Xylella fastidiosa crisis, giving them first-hand experience with one of the most significant plant health emergencies in recent EU history. For consortium builders, they offer proven diagnostic lab capacity, direct experience with EU quarantine organisms, and connections to both European and tropical agricultural networks.

Highlights from their portfolio

• POnTE
  Major EU response project to Xylella fastidiosa — the pathogen devastating olive groves in Puglia — with EUR 100,000 in EC funding to Agritest.
• TROPICSAFE
  Extended plant disease diagnostics beyond Europe to tropical crops in Africa, Caribbean, and South America, signaling global ambitions.
• VirFree
  MSCA-RISE mobility project focused on virus-free nursery certification, connecting Agritest with international researcher exchange networks.