What is killing the olive trees in Italy?
A recent harvest in northern Puglia, where the disease has not yet arrived (top), and dead olive trees in Scorrano, Italy (bottom). But many Pugliesi could not believe that a bacteria could kill these eternal trees. So thousands of people campaigned to stop the uprootings.
How many olive trees are there in Puglia?
More than a third of America's olive oil comes from Italy, and Puglia produces about 40 percent of all of Italy's oil. Of the roughly 60-million olive trees in Puglia, more than 10 million are already infected, including some of the oldest.
Will Xylella kill olive trees in Puglia?
Instead, angry olive growers in the Puglia region are still battling the government and the European Union over what to do about Xylella. A landmark study released by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on March 22 has identified just how Xylella kills trees, which was previously under great speculation.
How many olive trees are infected by Xylella fastidiosa?
The Xylella fastidiosa bacterium has infected 20 million of the nation’s 150 million olive trees. An olive branch uninfected by Xylella fastidiosa. Italy’s tourism industry, which took a heavy battering from Covid-driven travel restrictions, is now faced with the loss of one of its most popular natural attractions.
How many olive trees are infected in Puglia?
What is worrying about olive growers here?
How much olive oil does Villa Cappelli produce?
Who said trying to stop this is a race against time?
Who is Ottavio Vincenti?
Is it safe to eat olives from an infected tree?
Is La Notte trying to graft olive trees?
See 4 more
About this website
What disease is killing olive trees?
An aggressive plant pathogen that wipes out olive trees is projected to cost Italy billions of euros over the next 50 years. Xylella fastidiosa—a bacterium named for its pickiness when grown in the laboratory—was detected in southern Italy in 2013.
What is the disease affecting olive trees?
Olive scab is a fungal disease that attacks olive (Olea) species. It affects the leaves, and severe attacks are not only unsightly but can reduce the vigour of the tree by causing premature leaf fall. Wet weather is necessary for the spores of the fungus to infect the leaves.
Is there a cure for Xylella fastidiosa?
There is currently no treatment known to cure plants, by eliminating the pathogen, from xylem-limited bacterial infections, under field conditions.
Why do they burn olive trees?
Olive tree branches burning is a common agricultural waste management practice after the annual pruning of olive trees from November to February.
Why are the olive trees in Puglia dying?
The felled trees were infected with Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium that slowly chokes trees to death. It has already infected 20 of Italy's 150 million olive trees, mostly in the region of Puglia, which used to contribute up to 50% of Italy's total annual olive oil production.
What is attacking my olive tree?
Among the insects that attack the olive tree, the Prays, the fly and the black scale are the ones that usually cause the greatest damage. Other diseases of the olive tree, are caused by fungi, is the case of olive peacock spot, Anthracnose, Verticillium… Bacterium can also cause significant damage to the olive tree.
Is Xylella harmful to humans?
EU measures introduced to contain the infections The fact that the European Commission introduced EU regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of Xylella fastidiosa is evidence that Xylella is very dangerous to Europe.
What are the symptoms of Xylella fastidiosa?
9 Xylella fastidiosa symptoms you should know about!Scorching. Leaf scorching, otherwise known as leaf burn or sun scorch, is the browning of the plant tissue. ... Discolouration. ... Stunting. ... Wilting. ... Premature leaf abscission. ... Shriveled fruit. ... Premature fruit abscission. ... Dieback.More items...•
How is Xylella transmitted?
Insects spread Xylella by feeding on infected plants and hopping to other plants, and feeding there. The host plants range from herbaceous perennials to trees, including ornamental and crop plants, and native flora. Humans may move Xylella-infected plants, through trade, individuals or accidentally.
Why do Israelis destroy olive trees?
Israeli authorities have argued that some of these olive groves represent a threat to local security. One Israeli Defence Force commander, Colonel Eitan Abrahams, said that olive trees are removed “for the safety of settlers,” claiming that the trees protect Palestinian gunmen or stone-throwers.
Why do they hang bottles from olive trees?
Posting on YLP's Facebook page Stuart Harrowing said: “People hang bottles from trees full of water which reflects light to scare birds and insects. “If there was a hole in the top insects crawl in to a sugary water solution so the bottle could be a trap for fruit flies.
How old are olive trees in Puglia?
3,000 yearsIn Puglia there is a portion of territory bordered by the municipalities of Ostuni, Fasano, Monopoli and Carovigno where the concentration of ancient olive trees with plants that could have an estimated age of over 3,000 years dating back to the age of the ancient Messapi is very high.
How do I get rid of an olive tree fungus?
The good news is, it is easily treatable. The best way we know of to treat Peacock spot is to spray your Olive Tree with a copper mixture or fungicide. You should do this in November and then again in February. This should be enough to ensure Peacock spot is kept at bay.
What does scale on olive trees look like?
They are dark brown or black with a prominent H-shaped ridge on the back. Young scales are yellow to orange crawlers and are found on leaves and twigs of the tree. Often, a hand lens is needed to detect the crawlers. Black scale usually has one generation per year in interior valley olive growing districts.
What are the symptoms of olive leaf scorch disease?
Symptoms of sweet olive leaf scorch include chlo- rotic mottling of the leaves that starts from the tips and margins and progresses toward the midribs (Figure 1). As disease develops, leaf tips and margins become necrotic (Figures 2 and 3). Severely infected plants defo- liate and die (Figure 4).
How do you get rid of black scales on olive trees?
Moderate Infestations In trees with open canopies, the scale population should decrease or remain stable, depending on summer temperatures. If the summer is mild, apply a narrow range oil. If trees in the orchards have closed canopies, prune them and apply oil or an oil + insecticide combination treatment.
Why are olive trees destroyed?
Olive trees often hundreds of years old are completely destroyed by the wasting disease, which leaves them looking dehydrated as if burnt. The disease has spread at epidemic levels – quickly, and with devastating effect. Besides the great economic damage, olive trees are a tremendous cultural symbol of the region, ...
What is the only real action taken to destroy olive trees?
Yet so far the only real action taken has been to apply the European Union protocol that requires the destruction of any olive tree and vegetation for a mile around the border of the affected zone, in this case the Salentinian Peninsula. Will this stop the diffusion of Xylella? The bacterium spreads easily as it cleverly uses a partner, the burrowing meadow spittlebug ( Philaenus spumarius ), one of the most abundant field insects, in order to enter the tree.
How to deal with Xylella?
The only way to face the Xylella challenge is integrated pest management, tackling all elements at once. A soil treatment to sustain the plant, a larvicidal insecticide to control the spittlebug, an antifungal treatment, and a natural, low-cost and eco-friendly antibiotic to treat the plant to help prevent infection from becoming established. It’s vital that we act strongly and soon, as the disease has already spread far.
What are the main players in the olive tree?
The olive tree’s disease has three main players, the bacterium, the insect, and probably a symbiotic fungus of which we understand very little, in addition to the olive plant itself. They work together, acting like a “superorganism”. It is a very complex system, but in some way also very efficient.
What is the field bug in Italy?
A common, humble field bug is spreading a disease that has already infected millions of olive trees in Italy. Olive and citrus fruit crops throughout the Mediterranean are threatened, yet there has been a collective failure to recognise the danger and take decisive action. In Puglia in southeastern Italy, 241,000 hectares ...
Where are olive trees in Italy?
In Puglia in southeastern Italy, 241,000 hectares of olive groves have been restricted, with at least 10% of the 11m olive trees in the worst-affected region, Lecce, infected by the Xylella fastidiosa bacterium.
Can olive trees be treated for spittlebugs?
It’s possible to attack the bacterium by treating the olive trees with antibiotics, but this is extremely expensive and too complicated to administer to so many trees. The spittlebugs can be controlled by insecticide — in fact the bug’s larval stage is the best route, as it’s possible to apply insecticide before they have grown wings to fly. But current chemicals are not useful, so we are working on a new line of insecticides based on natural products to tackle the Xylella problem.
What was the spread of Xylella?
There are those who allege the disease was introduced by multinational agricultural corporations in a plot to force growers to buy pesticides and herbicides as well as disease-resistant olive varietals. There are those who allege developers were behind the spread of Xylella in a plot to transform parts of Puglia into golf courses and tourist resorts. There are those who say Xylella has always existed here.
Where did Xylella come from?
Scientists say Xylella arrived in Puglia with the importation of plants from Costa Rica, where the disease is endemic.
What did an elderly farmer complain about?
At one grove full of old gnarly trees, an elderly farmer complained that authorities had deemed a few of his trees to be infected.
How did the farmer save trees?
In one grove a farmer appeared to be attempting to save trees by cutting them back drastically to the trunk and grafting on new stock , presumably to make the trees resistant to the bacteria. Some varietals are believed to be immune.
Why didn't the sailor give his name?
He chose not to give his name because he was involved in a legal fight to save his trees from being cut down. Instead of cutting down trees, he said they needed to be pruned heavily and looked after.
How many trees were infected with Xylella?
Somewhere in the nearby groves, scientists had identified seven trees infected with Xylella, according to a regional Web site that tracks the infections.
What is the name of the rustic place of dirt roads, meandering stone walls, and cone-?
This is the Valle d’Itria, a rustic place of dirt roads, meandering stone walls, and cone-shaped structures called trulli.
Why are olive trees being cut down?
Olive trees across Puglia, Italy, that are infected with a deadly bacterium are being cut down and burned in hopes of slowing the disease’s spread. Credit: Credit: Pier Paolo Cito
Why did the Italian court order the destruction of trees?
Late last summer, after many groves were razed, environmental groups and farmers whose trees were marked for destruction went to a regional Italian court to try to save the trees. Its decision granted dozens of groves a stay of execution, ruling that the destruction of the trees—infected or not—was unconstitutional.
What pests carry Xylella?
Just as the EFSA study came out, a separate European pest study showed that the meadow spittlebug, the main insect that carries Xylella, was hatching two weeks earlier than the year before. That gave new urgency to a compromise plan introduced by the Department of Agriculture for the Region of Puglia. It called for implementing certain farming practices that can kill the bugs and their nests, including spraying insecticides on trees’ infected areas and clearing underbrush to eliminate the bugs’ nests.
Does Xylella affect olive trees?
The EFSA study also determined that the Xylella strain that is affecting olives in Puglia does not infect grapes, stone fruits, citrus or oak trees, as some researchers had suspected. More importantly for olive farmers, the scientists who carried out the study pinpointed varieties of olive trees most at risk. “Amongst cultivars tested, Cellina di Nardò clearly resulted as the most susceptible, according to the study.” The Leccino variety, they said, is the most resistant against infections. Growers who have resistant varieties might avoid eradication, and those whose trees have been killed might make wiser choices if they replenish their groves with new seedlings. Many farmers in Puglia grow more than one variety based on soil conditions, personal preference or family heritage, with the most popular being Ogliarola, Cellina di Nardò, Coratina, Frantoio and Leccino.
Can olive trees spread Xylella fastidiosa?
In a study published in the March 16 edition of Biological Invasions, Luciano Bosso, an environmental scientist at the University of Naples–Federico II, says “ Xylella fastidiosa bacteria is likely to spread throughout the Mediterranean Basin, affecting crops and native plants in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Corsica, Albania, Montenegro, Greece and Turkey as well as all countries of northern Africa and the Middle East.” The issue, he argues, is just how much destruction the bacterium will be allowed to do or if good farming practices such as killing insects and aggressive pruning will be enough to contain any new outbreaks.
Why is the olive tree a symbol of peace?
The purpose of the tree being that every time she looked in the garden it would remind her to be faithful. You’ve probably heard of the olive tree being described as a symbol of peace and some believe this legend is why. Others believe that the first olive tree was planted by the ancient Greeks.
How many olive trees are there in Puglia?
Puglia is filled with a staggering sixty million olive trees. That’s practically one for every person! Their trunks bend and twist, looking like arty sculptures. Driving around this region, it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer number of them.
Why do we love Puglia?
The legends of the olive trees are one of many reasons to love Puglia. One tells the story of a war that happened over one hundred years ago. A woman betrayed her husband while he was busy fighting in the war. To repent her sins the wise gods told her to pray and plant a tree.
Where are the olive trees in Italy?
The Olive Trees of Puglia . Puglia is a stunning, authentic part of southern Italy that seems to escape the tourist crowds. If you’re looking for something really unique and rewarding that won’t cost the earth, the upcoming olive celebrations could well be your ticket.
Which country produces the most olive oil?
Italy is said to produce 200million litres of olive oil, which is between one third and half of the global amount of olive oil. Top producers include Spain and Greece too. However my guide was quick to point out that it’s about quality not quantity.
Do older trees still produce olives?
It’s like time travelling and if that isn’t reason enough to go, I don’t know what is!
Who planted the first olive tree?
Others believe that the first olive tree was planted by the ancient Greeks. Legend says that a new town was discovered in Greece. Both the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, and the God of Sea, Poseidon, wanted to name it. Zeus decided they would have to give a gift to the town and the best one would win the naming rights.
How much did Melcarne invest in olive trees?
In April 2016, while local politicians were delaying scientific research by withholding funding, Melcarne invested 130,000 euros––around $156,000, his lifetime savings––to graft 14 hectares of his olive trees. His family had been in the olive business since the 1500s, so Melcarne took the enormous financial risk not only to save his company, ...
What olives are resistant to bacteria?
It was 2016, and Melcarne brought the scientists to Gallipoli to check the green and thriving graft his fellow farmer had shown him, which later turned out to be Leccino––one of the only two olive varieties known to be resistant to the bacteria. “That plant lightened up lots of lightbulbs,” La Notte says.
What caused the blight on the olive trees in Puglia?
Melcarne was not surprised: At least 2 million olive trees in Puglia looked this way, including many of his own. The cause of the blight was Xylella fastidiosa, a bacteria that researchers believe arrived around 2010 from Latin America, possibly from Costa Rica on an imported ornamental plant.
How many olive trees are there in Puglia?
Melcarne was not surprised: At least 2 million olive trees in Puglia looked this way, including many of his own.
What is the spittlebug that eats Xylella fastidiosa?
Xylella fastidiosa is carried by a sap-feeding insect, a spittlebug called Philaenus spumarius. When the insect bites an infected leaf, it involuntarily takes the bacteria on its saliva, giving Xylella a free ride to the next plant it feeds on. Through the bite, the bacteria enter the xylem––the plants’ vascular tissue, where water and nutrients flow––traveling countercurrent towards the roots. As the bacteria reproduce, they create a gel that clogs the channels, preventing water and nutrients from passing through. Once the plant is infected, it slowly starts dying.
Where are olive trees found?
In Puglia, olive trees are everywhere. They have populated these lands since 1,000 BC, when the ancient Greeks brought them. Some trees still growing today saw ancient Romans passing by or welcomed Emperor Frederik II on his way to the Sixth Crusade, while many more were already old when Christopher Columbus stumbled upon the Americas. The trees have always been present in their corrugated fairy shapes, and they are an inherent part of the local culture. Each family owns a few olive trees and treats them like family, like immortal grandparents. Pugliesi have taken their presence for granted for a long time, but Xylella is now crushing that timeless, idyllic reality.
Where is Xylella spreading?
Today, Xylella is spreading fast across Puglia, crossing into other Italian regions and Mediterranean countries, and upending the production of olives and olive oil, the symbols of the Mediterranean.
What is the olive oil that is prized here in Puglia?
Others let their olives drop and harvest them then for the golden, bitter, peppery oil that is prized here in Puglia.
How many olive trees have been destroyed?
First discovered in the region a little over 5 years ago it is estimated that 10 million trees have been infected and destroyed, wiping out the livelihood of hundreds of olive farmers, some generations old.
Where to visit the groves in Serranova?
Visit the groves running along the road from Serranova to Torre Guaceto, some 8 km or so towards the south-east of Ostuni.
Is Puglia a short hop?
It’s only a short hop from town to town wherever you are in our region. That’s why we have suggested Puglia in bitesize chunks. Suggestions, wherever you are, to make your visit to Puglia just that little bit more special.
How many olive trees are there in Puglia?
Melcarne was not surprised: At least 2 million olive trees in Puglia looked this way, including many of his own.
Where did the blight on olive trees come from?
The cause of the blight was Xylella fastidiosa, a bacteria that researchers believe arrived around 2010 from Latin America, possibly from Costa Rica on an imported ornamental plant. Today, Xylella has infected at least one-third of the 60 million olive trees in Puglia, which produces 12 percent of the world’s olive oil. The bacteria leaves no chance of survival: Once a plant is infected, it’s doomed to die in a handful of years. Today, Xylella is spreading fast across Puglia, crossing into other Italian regions and Mediterranean countries, and upending the production of olives and olive oil, the symbols of the Mediterranean.
How many olive trees did Melcarne check?
Thanks to the thousands of tips he receives on social media, Melcarne has checked about 30,000 wild olives trees, covering 600,000 kilometers (372,822 miles) in his car in the process. He dreams of finding a local olive variety to replant the orchards destroyed by the bacteria. He picked 30 of them for reproduction, and he says he has found good candidates.
What is the spittlebug that eats Xylella fastidiosa?
Xylella fastidiosa is carried by a sap-feeding insect, a spittlebug called Philaenus spumarius. When the insect bites an infected leaf, it involuntarily takes the bacteria on its saliva, giving Xylella a free ride to the next plant it feeds on. Through the bite, the bacteria enter the xylem––the plants’ vascular tissue, where water and nutrients flow––traveling countercurrent towards the roots. As the bacteria reproduce, they create a gel that clogs the channels, preventing water and nutrients from passing through. Once the plant is infected, it slowly starts dying.
Where are olive trees found?
In Puglia, olive trees are everywhere. They have populated these lands since 1,000 BC, when the ancient Greeks brought them. Some trees still growing today saw ancient Romans passing by or welcomed Emperor Frederik II on his way to the Sixth Crusade, while many more were already old when Christopher Columbus stumbled upon the Americas. The trees have always been present in their corrugated fairy shapes, and they are an inherent part of the local culture. Each family owns a few olive trees and treats them like family, like immortal grandparents. Pugliesi have taken their presence for granted for a long time, but Xylella is now crushing that timeless, idyllic reality.
When did Xylella appear in Italy?
The disease’s symptoms first appeared around 2010, but Italians didn’t know what was killing their trees. In 2013, scientists realized that it was Xylella. It was the first detection in Europe, and the European Union and Italian government immediately pushed for containment measures that implied the eradication of the infected trees. Speed was crucial: Stopping the spread would only get harder as it dispersed across Italy.
Who invested his life savings to find a way to stop Xylella?
Agronomist Giovanni Melcarne invested his life savings to find a way to stop Xylella. Image by Stefano Petroni. Italy, 2020.
Why do we prune olive trees in Frantoio?
That’s why never to be inactive in our Frantoio every year we decide to prune only a quarter of crops, so as to keep alive a rotation and a growing production throughout the olive grove. At the same time we reuse the wood resulting from pruning to feed the 15 chimneys scattered in Masseria. The high calorific value of this wood and the large amounts of oil which is steeped make an excellent fuel for our fireplaces.
Why is each tree geolocated?
A decade after the idea of Armando and Rosalba, the Puglia region has assigned an identification number to each tree to protect them and safeguard them. Each specimen, renamed and marked, was then geo localized so that it could no longer be uprooted and eventually implanted in a very suitable place for its survival. Geolocation it’ s also necessary in order to be able to go back to their position in case of fires or adverse natural phenomena.
Do olive trees rotate clockwise?
The last part of this picturesque route takes us to the place where there is an olive tree whose twisted shape is backed by a 800 dating back side column. Not everyone knows that in time the olive trees rotate clockwise, and there are different theories about the rotation. Some say that they follow the rotation of the earth, those who think that they are shaped by the wind, but we want to believe that the olive tree rotate in the same direction of a helix of human DNA, just like a person.
How many olive trees are infected in Puglia?
Of the roughly 60-million olive trees in Puglia, more than 10 million are already infected, including some of the oldest.
What is worrying about olive growers here?
But what is worrying olive growers here is a disease that's killing olive trees by the millions. Paul Cappelli, who'd been an advertising executive in New York City until a few years ago, left his job and moved to a home on the ancient Appian Way surrounded by olive trees, and entered the oil business. "Not the Texas oil business; I'm in the real ...
How much olive oil does Villa Cappelli produce?
Today, Villa Cappelli produces about 10,000 liters of olive oil, 95 percent of it sold in the U.S.
Who said trying to stop this is a race against time?
Doane asked, "You say trying to stop this is a race against time? Is it a race that you're losing?"
Who is Ottavio Vincenti?
Ottavio Vincenti, a 75-year-old former olive farmer, abandoned his trees, nearly 700 of them – his life's work. "It hurts my heart," he told Doane. "My grandparents raised and cared for these trees. I can't even look at them anymore. " No che vita, no che lavoro, no che niente ," he said.
Is it safe to eat olives from an infected tree?
It's carried from tree to tree by a little bug. Oil from an infected tree is still safe to consume, but the tree soon dries up, and is no longer able to produce olives.
Is La Notte trying to graft olive trees?
And time may be running out. So, La Notte is trying to graft disease-resistant olive varieties onto infected trunks, to try to save some trees. "It's growing very, very well," he said.
