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Rossi Stacconi Marco Valerio

Marco Valerio Rossi Stacconi is researcher in the Plant Protection Unit at the Research and Innovation Center of FEM.

He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Entomology at the University of Perugia (Italy) in 2012.
He did international internships at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (Jena, Germany), the Biozentrum at the University of Wuerzburg (Wuerzburg, Germany) and the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (Lisbon, Portugal).
From 2018 to 2020, he has been research associate in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University (OR, USA).

He addresses his research activity to the study of insect morphology, physiology, chemical ecology, and behavior. His expertise includes scanning (SEM), transmission (TEM) and confocal laser scanning (CLSM) microscopy; immunohistochemistry techniques and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH); electrophysiology techniques including electroantennography (EAG) and single cell/sensillum recording (SSR/SCR); gas-chromatography coupled with electroantennal detection (GC-EAD); volatile extraction techniques including closed-loop stripping analysis and solid phase micro-extraction (SPME); behavioral studies in laboratory (arena olfactometry and wind tunnel tests), semi-field and field settings.

Currently, he conducts research on natural enemies and biological control of invasive plant pests, with the goal of developing and implementing IPM programs that improve farms productivity and profitability while reducing environmental impacts.

He published more than 40 papers in international peer-reviewed journals integrated with intensive scientific communication and extension activities towards schools, growers, and stakeholders.

Image: Rossi Stacconi Marco Valerio

Research interest

Biocontrol
Chemical Ecology

Project contact person

BIODROB - Biology, ecology and transmission of Xylella fastidiosa by the sharpshooter Draculacaephala robinsoni

EFSA - The BIODROB project focuses on the study of a xylem-feeding insect called Draculacephala robinsoni, a leafhopper recently introduced in Europe and suspected of being a vector of Xylella fastidiosa, a very dangerous plant bacterium.
The main goal is to gather detailed information about the biology, ecology, and behavior of this insect. Specifically, researchers will use advanced techniques, such as EPG (Electrical Penetration Graph), to closely observe how the insect feeds and how often it transmits the bacterium to different plants.
Furthermore, the project will analyze how these insects communicate with each other through vibrations. This research could lead to the development of "semiochemicals," that is, chemical or physical signals that attract or repel the insect, offering new strategies to control the spread of Xylella fastidiosa.
In summary, the BIODROB project aims to better understand a potential vector of a plant disease, with the goal of finding innovative solutions to protect our crops.

Further details

PestScan - Quantitative horizon scanning using climatic modelling to identify species with the potential to become plant pests

(EUPHRESCO) - Il progetto ha lo scopo di creare un network internazionale di istituzioni e di esperti che valuti il rischio di invasione delle principali specie aliene negli agroecosistemi europei. Il consorzio si occuperà di mettere a punto modelli quantitativi per l'analisi prospettica (horizon scanning) al fine di identificare e prioritizzare i potenziali pest molto più rapidamente rispetto ai metodi tradizionali. La modellizzazione quantitativa sarà composta da diversi livelli, tra cui, ma non solo, la modellizzazione ecologica e la valutazione dell’idoneità climatica, tecniche di apprendimento automatico, distribuzione delle piante ospiti e criteri di valutazione rapida del rischio di introduzione ed insediamento.

L'obiettivo finale di questo progetto è la messa a punto di un kit di strumenti open-source e aggiornabile per condurre analisi prospettiche per la valutazione formale del rischio fitosanitario e la sorveglianza generale, applicabile a qualsiasi paese o regione di interesse, che possa essere direttamente integrato nelle attività normative.

Attività FEM:

La fondazione Mach verrà coinvolta nei seguenti work packages: WP2 - Dataset Identification and Sourcing, WP3 - Rapid Risk Assessment Criteria Identification e WP7 - Scientific publications

Further details

SWAT3 - Classical Biological Control Project

(AdPi) The SWAT3 project, conducted at the Edmund Mach Foundation, focuses on classical biological control, a sustainable approach to managing two invasive insect pests: the Asian brown marmorated stink bug and the spotted wing drosophila.

Further details