Effect of Cultivar Resistance and Soil Management on Spatial–Temporal Development of Verticillium Wilt of Olive: A Long-Term Study

Abstract

Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae, challenges olive cultivation and an Integrated Disease Management (IDM) approach is the best-suited tool to combat it. Since 1998, an IDM strategy in an orchard (called Granon, Spain) of the susceptible cv. Picual was conducted by increasing planting density with moderately resistant cv. Frantoio, chemical weed control, and replanting of dead olives with cv. Frantoio following soil solarization. The Verticillium wilt epidemic in Granon orchard was compared to the epidemic in a non-IDM orchard (called Ancla, Spain) with plowed soil and dead Picual olives replanted with the same cultivar. Field evaluations (2012-2013) showed an incidence and severity of the disease as Picual-Ancla > Picual-Granon > Frantoio-Granon. The spatiotemporal dynamics of the Verticillium epidemics from 1998 to 2010 were monitored with digital images using SIG. The annual tree mortalities were 5.6% for Picual olives in Ancla orchard, and 3.1 and 0.7% for Picual and Frantoio olives in Granon orchard, respectively. There was a negative relationship between the mortality of olive trees (%) by the pathogen and the height (m) above sea level. The annual mortality of cv. Picual olives was positively correlated with spring rainfalls. The Index of Dispersion and beta-binomial distribution showed aggregation of Verticillium-dead olives. In conclusion, this IDM strategy considerably reduced the disease in comparison with traditional agronomic practices.

Verticillium dahliae Inoculation and in vitro Propagation Modify the Xylem Microbiome and Disease Reaction to Verticillium Wilt in a Wild Olive Genotype

“…The use of host resistance is the most practical, long-term, and economically efficient disease control measure for vascular diseases in olive, and it is at the core of integrated disease strategies that must be practiced for the efficient management of these diseases ( Jiménez-Díaz et al, 2011 ; Schneider et al, 2020 ). For Verticillium wilt, the use of wild olive rootstocks highly resistant to D Vd can provide an improved mean for its management, especially for grafting susceptible olive cultivars that are agronomically adapted, commercially desirable, or used in protected designation of origin extra virgin olive oils ( Jiménez-Díaz et al, 2011 ; Trapero et al, 2012 , 2013 ; Jiménez-Fernández et al, 2016 ; Ostos et al, 2020 ). In addition to that, use of endophytic plant-associated microorganisms with a specific beneficial interaction with the host plant could help to improve olive health and productivity providing a potential perspective for sustainable plant protection ( Ryan et al, 2008 ; Berg, 2009 ; Berg et al, 2014 ; Müller et al, 2015 ).…”

“…The most practical and economically efficient method for the management of Verticillium wilt is the use of resistant cultivars. However, most of the olive cultivars widely grown in Spain are moderately to highly susceptible to D Vd ( López-Escudero et al, 2010 ; Jiménez-Díaz et al, 2011 ; Ostos et al, 2020 ). Recently, a few wild olive genotypes were identified as highly resistant to D Vd that may have a valuable potential as rootstocks for the management of Verticillium wilt ( Jiménez-Fernández et al, 2016 ).…”

Plant Biostimulants: New Insights Into the Biological Control of Verticillium Wilt of Olive

“…However, the ability of MS to survive for up to 14 years in the soil and to infect a broad diversity of alternative hosts, added to the absence of effective chemical treatments against the disease, makes VWO control difficult ( Trapero et al, 2015 ). Therefore, an integrated disease management (IDM) strategy including both pre- and postplanting treatments must be strongly considered for the control of the disease within the framework of sustainable agriculture ( López-Escudero and Mercado-Blanco, 2011 ; Montes-Osuna and Mercado-Blanco, 2020 ; Ostos et al, 2020 ). In this framework, the implementation of natural products such as essential oils or organic amendments (OAs) as well as biological control agents (BCAs) against VWO has been studied by several authors over the last two decades as a potential eco-friendly control measure against the disease ( Montes-Osuna and Mercado-Blanco, 2020 ).…”

Verticillium dahliaeinoculation andin vitropropagation modify the xylem microbiome and disease reaction to Verticillium wilt in a wild olive genotype

“…The use of host resistance is the most practical, long-term and economically efficient disease control measure for Verticillium wilt in olive, and it is at the core of integrated disease strategies that must be practiced for the efficient management of the disease. Use of wild olive rootstocks highly resistant to D Vd can provide an improved means for the management of Verticillium wilt, especially for grafting susceptible olive cultivars that are agronomically adapted, commercially desirable or used in protected designation of origin extra virgin olive oils (Jiménez-Díaz et al, 2011; Trapero et al, 2012, 2013; Jiménez-Fernández et al, 2016; Ostos et al, 2020). In addition to that, use of endophytic plant-associated microorganisms with a specific beneficial interaction with the host plant could help to improve olive health and productivity providing a potential perspective for sustainable plant protection (Ryan et al, 2008; Berg, 2009; Berg et al, 2014; Müller et al, 2015).…”

“…The most practical and economically efficient method for the management of Verticillium wilt is the use of resistant cultivars. However, most of olive cultivars widely grown in Spain, are moderately to highly susceptible to D Vd (López-Escudero et al, 2010; Jiménez-Díaz et al, 2011; Ostos et al, 2020). Recently, a few wild olive genotypes were identified as highly resistant to D Vd that may have a valuable potential as rootstocks for the management of Verticillium wilt (Jiménez-Fernández et al, 2016).…”