At the request of the European Commission, EFSA has prepared specific guidelines for conducting topographic surveys on Xylella fastidiosa, according to Oleorevista in its publication.
The guide simulates three different survey designs: detection surveys to verify freedom of pests, delimitation of surveys to determine the boundaries of an infested area, and buffer surveys to monitor an area that ensures detection of pests with a low level of prevalence.
The first step in the survey design is to set the objectives, characterize the host plant population, and the methods used to identify the pest. All parameters are quantified taking into account the importance of related assumptions. The second step is to calculate the sample size using statistical parameters. Finally, the third step consists of assigning the samples in the survey area, whose method depends on the available information on the target population and risk factors.
Under the methodology proposed in these guidelines, the entity hopes to increase the strength of the conclusions reached in the evaluation surveys of Xylella fastidiosa as well as its harmonization in the EU Member States. The guide can be consulted through this link.