Research interests
Xiangming focuses his research on elucidating quantitative epidemiology of important pathogens/diseases on perennial crops, including top/soft fruit and ornamental species with the aim to develop and implementing sustainable and integrated disease management strategies. More recently, Xiangming has been engaged in understanding soil/substrate microbial ecology using next generation sequencing technology, with specific interests in the use of beneficial microbes for improving crop productivity.
Research projects
Developing microbial-based strategies to improve rice production in Tanzania: Duration: 2019–2022; Partners: NIAB (lead), Real IPM in Kenya and Tanzania, CropNuts (Kenya); Funding: Innvoate UK
INTERACT: Decoding the rhizobiota interactome for improved crop resilience; Duration: 2020-2025; Partners: NIAB, North Carolina State University, Technical University of Denmark, Aarhus University, University of Copenhagen; Funding: Novo Nordisk
EXCALIBUR: Exploiting the multifunctional potential of belowground biodiversity in horticultural farming; Duration: 2019-2024; Partners: NIAB, CREA (Italy), InHort (Poland), CRPV (Italy), National History Museum (UK), Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, AGRONNOVA (Italy), NIOO (Netherlands), University of Copenhagen, Graz University of Technology, Inoculum Plus (France), University of Granada (Spain), INTERMAG (Poland), NSF International (Belgium), KOB (Germany), FOKO (Germany); Funding: EU H2020
Hort-BlueC: Sustainable up-cycling of agro-, agrofood and fisheries residues in horticulture and agriculture as bioenergy, biochar and chitin-rich products; Duration: 2018-2021; Partners: NIAB EMR, ILVP (Belgium), ECN TNO (Netherlands), University of Lille (France), ADAS (UK), Greenyard (Netherlands), Cato (Netherlands), University of Portsmouth, Proefcentrum Hoogstraten (Belgium); Funding: EU Interreg;
Collaborative training programme for fruit crop research; Duration: 2017-2024; Partners: Berry Gardens Growers Limited, NIAB EMR, Marks and Spencer Plc, AHDB Horticulture, Mack, The National Association of Cider Makers, Worldwide Fruit Ltd; Funding: BBSRC
The role of endophytes in affecting European canker development on apple; Duration: 2017-2021; Partners: NIAB, AHDB Horticulture, Frank P Matthews Ltd., Avalon Produce Ltd., Adrian Scripps Ltd., Wordwide Fruit Ltd., ENZA (New Zealand); Funding: BBSRC LINK
Semi-automatic trapping of fungal spores causing strawberry fruit rot; Duration: 2017-2020; Partners: NIAB EMR, Mologic Limited, Berry Gardens Growers Limited, Warwickshire College; Funding: Innovate UK
Integrated management of strawberry diseases; Duration: 2015-2020; Partners: NIAB EMR, ADAS, University of Hertfordshire; Funding: AHDB
Publications
> 170 peer-reviewed papers, > 10 book chapters
Recent publications
Hu X-P, Cao S-Q, Cornelius A, Xu X-M (2019) Predicting overwintering of wheat stripe rust in central and north-western China. Plant Diseases,
Deakin G, Fernández Fernández F, Bennett J, Passey T, Harrison N, Tilston EL, Xu X-M (2019) The effect of rotating apple rootstock genotypes on apple replant disease and rhizosphere microbiome. Phytobiome Journal,
Xu X-M, Ma L, Hu X-P (2019) Overwintering of wheat stripe rust under field conditions in the north-western regions of China. Plant Disease, 103, 638-644
Deakin G, Tilston EL, Bennett J, Passey T, Harrison N, Fernández-Fernández F, Xu X-M (2018). Spatial structuring of soil microbial communities in commercial apple orchards. Appl. Soil Ecol. 130, 1-12
Emma LT, Deakin G, Bennett J, Passey T, Harrison N, O'Brien F, Fernández-Fernández F, Xu X-M (2018) Candidate causal organisms for apple replant disease in the UK. Phytobiomes Journal, 2, 261-274