Impact ofXylella fastidiosasubspeciespaucain European olives

Abstract

Xylella fastidiosa is the causal agent of plant diseases that cause massive economic damage. In 2013, a strain of the bacterium was, for the first time, detected in the European territory (Italy), causing the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome. We simulate future spread of the disease based on climatic-suitability modeling and radial expansion of the invaded territory. An economic model is developed to compute impact based on discounted foregone profits and losses in investment. The model projects impact for Italy, Greece, and Spain, as these countries account for around 95% of the European olive oil production. Climatic suitability modeling indicates that, depending on the suitability threshold, 95.5 to 98.9%, 99.2 to 99.8%, and 84.6 to 99.1% of the national areas of production fall into suitable territory in Italy, Greece, and Spain, respectively. For Italy, across the considered rates of radial range expansion the potential economic impact over 50 y ranges from 1.9 billion to 5.2 billion Euros for the economic worst-case scenario, in which production ceases after orchards die off. If replanting with resistant varieties is feasible, the impact ranges from 0.6 billion to 1.6 billion Euros. Depending on whether replanting is feasible, between 0.5 billion and 1.3 billion Euros can be saved over the course of 50 y if disease spread is reduced from 5.18 to 1.1 km per year. The analysis stresses the necessity to strengthen the ongoing research on cultivar resistance traits and application of phytosanitary measures, including vector control and inoculum suppression, by removing host plants.

Estimating the epidemiology of emerging Xylella fastidiosa outbreaks in olives

“…A recent estimate suggests there are 4 million unproductive heavily infected or dead olive trees, representing a 10% loss of Italian olive oil, which equates to an economic loss of approximately €390 million (Italia Olivicola, 2019). If left unchecked, it has been estimated that olive-producing countries could lose billions of euros to the disease (Schneider et al, 2020). Other strains and outbreaks of the bacterium have since been discovered in other host plants in Spain, France, other regions of Italy (Tuscany), and Portugal (EFSA Panel on Plant Health, 2019a).…”

Verticillium Wilt of Olive and Its Control: What Did We Learn during the Last Decade?

“…This is an unquestionable fact according to the available reports, even though a new emergent vascular pathogen for olive (i.e., Xyllela fastidiosa, causing the olive quick decline syndrome) is devastating specific olive growing areas [198]. Undoubtedly, the latter may represent an added serious biotic constraint for the future of this tree crop in the main olive growing countries [199], where VWO is (or can be) also present. Secondly, olive cropping systems have experienced significant changes during recent decades, aiming to improve mechanization, yield, and quality.…”

Scanning electrochemical microscopy and its potential for studying biofilms and antimicrobial coatings

“…Xylella fastidiosa, a plant pathogenic bacterial species, which causes huge economic losses in crops (grapevine, citrus, etc.) mostly in the Americas, has reached Europe causing severe damage to olive-growing regions in Italy [19]. X. fastidiosa is known to obstruct the water pathways within more than 100 different plants after irreversible adhesion to the xylem surface and formation of biofilms.…”