Leonardo Costanza ¹ Francesco Maldera ^1* Simone Pietro Garofalo ² Gaetano Alessandro Vivaldi ¹ Salvatore Camposeo ¹

• ¹ University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
• ² Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economy Analysis | CREA, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Site selection analysis is a fundamental tool methodology for the regeneration of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp) infected areas, with the introduction of Xfp immune/resistant tree crop species. The diffusion of these species could be assessed by combining ecological optima data, climate and soil attributes of the study area, and GIS-toolsGIS toolsbased site selection analysis. The study aimed to evaluate the potential suitability of eight Xfp immune tree crops, including Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) drought resistantdrought-resistant and new species, as followfollows: carob, hawthorn, prickly pear, mulberry, loquat, walnut, persimmon, and avocado. The use of GIS tools allowed the integration of different spatial data layers, such such as climate and soil, in order toto assist contribute in to the identification of suitable areas for the cultivation of these tree crops helping the police-makers to define plan plans for land use at a regional scale. Following the ecological optima, which represent represents the ideal environmental conditions for each species, this analysis provided valuable insights into the compatibility of the selected tree crops with the prevailing environmental factors in the affected area. Carob revealed its remarkable adaptability and drought resistance, presenting the broadest suitability. Hawthorn and Loquat also exhibited high adaptability, indicating their potential contribution to agricultural diversification and ecological balance. Conversely, crops like avocadoAvocado, prickly Prickly pear, and walnut Walnut despite their economic value, demonstrated limited adaptability due to their specific soil and climateic requirements. Theise findings can potentially contribute to the development of strategies for the police-makers, aimed at toat diversifying and enhancing the resilience of agricultural systems, in the face of facing the problem of emerging quarantine pathogens plant health threats and the incoming climate change, highlighting the possibility to openof opening new cultivation scenarios in the zones affected by Xfp.