Alessandro Vitale

From 1st December 2020 Alessandro Vitale is Associate Professor. From May 16, 2025  he is active member of the Ethics Committee of Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment. From November 1, 2022 he is the Responsible delegate for Orientation at Di3A. Previously, he held the role of Researcher with a temporary contract (RTD) letter b) from 1 December 2017 to 30 November 2020, according to current legislation (Leg. N. 240/2010) and even before (from 3 November 2014 to 30 November 2017) the role of RTD letter a) at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A) of the University of Catania, where he carries out teaching and research activities in the field of plant pathology. He obtained a PhD in plant pathology at the University of Catania in 2004 and he has obtained a 48-month (2010-2014) research fellowship (prior of Law 240/2010) entitled "Integrated management strategies of soilborne diseases and survival of soilborne agents" at the Department of Agri-Food and Environmental Systems Management (now Di3A) and previously he has obtained an annual research fellowship entitled "Validation of integrated disease management against pathogens of soil and substrates used for cultivation of horticultural and floro-ornamental crops". In the past, he holds teaching courses referred to "Plant Pathology" and he has held as Professor since 2005/06 until 2010/11 the courses of "Phytoiatria (Plant Protection)" and "Fundamental aspects and teaching of plant pathology". From 2015/2016 to nowadays (2023/2024) he is the holder of the course of "Mycology in Plant Pathology" (6 credits in degree course L25), "Phytopatogenic fungi and Micotoxins" (6 credits in degree course L26R from a.a. 2021/22 to current 2023/24) and relatively to academical year 2020/21 the course of "Phytoiatria (Plant Protection)" (6 credits in master's degree LM69). His research activity focuses on diagnosis of phytopathogenic fungi causing new and/or not-reported diseases of commercial crops (horticultural, ornamental, fruit trees, tropica crops, etc.), soilborne pathogens, plant disease management (including biological and agronomic means as well as grafting and BCAs use, chemicals use at low rates, physical means as well as soil solarization and integrated control means). Survey, detection and solutions to overcome fungicide resistance in plant pathogens; biological control of post-harvest diseases on grapevine and citrus; and use of induced systemic resistance on plants and use of transgenic plants for the control of plant diseases represent other important research topics.

Last edit: 10/08/2025