EFSA: Xylella fastidiosa is responsible for the olive disease in Italy
On March 29 2016, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published an External Scientific Report on investigations into the host range of X. fastidiosa CoDiRO carried out in Apulia over the past couple of years. Scientists from the Italian National Research Council (Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection) exposed varieties of major perennial crops to the bacterium through artificial inoculation and by exposure to infective insect vectors in the field. The study was funded by EFSA.
It was accompanied by a News Story which will be available in: English, French, German, Italian.
Key messages are:
- Xylella fastidiosa is responsible for the disease that is destroying olive trees in southern Italy.
- Oleander and myrtle-leaf milkwort also succumb to the Apulian strain of the bacterium, but citrus, grapevine and holm oak appear to be resistant.
The result of this pilot project will be implemented in the EU funded POnTE project.
For any further information on the Scientific Report, you can contact Giuseppe Stancanelli (giuseppe.stancanelli@efsa.europa.eu) and for further information on the News Story, you can contact Simon Terry (simon.terry@efsa.europa.eu).
