Olive Tree Disease Southern Italy
The destruction of olive trees infected with a bacterium has caused controversy in italy.
Olive tree disease southern italy. A deadly disease estimated to have killed a million olive trees in italy has spread to france. And trees in spain and greece are under threat. More than a million ancient olive trees are being wiped out by a deadly disease in southern italy forcing a 20 per cent rise in the cost of olive oil across the eu. A pathogen is destroying italy s olive trees in the puglia region of italy which produces 40 percent of the country s olive oil a bacterium from the new world xylella fastidiosa is infecting.
Last summer italian officials destroyed dozens of groves of prized and economically vital olive trees with chainsaws in an attempt to stop the spread of xylella fastidiosa a bacterium that has. The pathogen causes olive quick decline syndrome oqds a disease which causes withering and. Scientists in southern europe are fighting a deadly pathogen that s killed millions of olive trees in italy. Until the olive trees fell ill xylella had never been seen in europe and its identification in italy set off alarm bells across the scientific and political communities of the european union.
Olive trees infected by the bacteria xylella fastidiosa in gallipoli in the puglia region of italy. The olive harvest in southern italy has been hit by a disease new to europe italy must step up efforts to contain a bacterial disease blighting olive trees in the southern province of lecce the. These countries produce nearly all of. The groves which counts trees.
An olive tree is cut down in oria near brindisi southern italy monday april 13 2015 in an attempt to keep a deadly pathogen xylella fastidiosa from spreading.