Emerging plant disease epidemics: Biological research is key but not enough

The effective management of plant diseases is of fundamental importance for food production, forestry, and other plant-derived products, as well as for the sustainability of natural environments.When considering the impact of a plant pathogen, the financial costs incurred by an outbreak usually receive the most focus, but there are other much less understood consequences for the affected society, culture, and environment due to disease.This poorly studied layer of complexity is particularly relevant for emerging outbreaks, of which often only limited knowledge is available to devise management strategies, but decisions and actions must be made quickly.The recent outbreak of a bacterial plant pathogen in Europe illustrates how understanding not only the biology of an emerging pathogen but also the cultural context is critical for effectively communicating and engaging with stakeholders and policy makers in order to implement successful disease control strategies.Plant pathogens and diseases are integral components of ecosystems; however, plant pathology research is significantly biased toward agriculture and forestry.Most research in plant pathology focuses on two types of diseases: those that are established and actively managed and those that are emerging and less well understood.Plant disease emergence is driven by various factors, particularly pathogen introductions into new regions.Pathogen biology and ecology may be difficult to predict in new environments.Previously available knowledge is key to devise eradication, quarantine, and management strategies, but it must be adapted to novel scenarios in short time frames to be effective.While the academic community often rises to the technical challenges of responding to an emerging outbreak, what actually happens during early stages of new disease epidemics is also strongly influenced by political, economical, and societal pressures.Important decisions such as the pursuit of eradication efforts and how to implement those efforts must be made quickly, decidedly, and may not be entirely supported by the scientific literature.Here, I reflect on the role of science, scientists, and scientific uncertainty in this process based on my experience with an emerging plant disease epidemic.In October 2013, the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa was first reported in Europe when it was identified in infected olive trees in Apulia, Italy [1].The European Commission immediately requested that an eradication program be implemented, a decision based on perceived regional