`Xylella Fastidiosa Identified in Rosemary Plants in Portugal - Olive Oil Times
Enter keywords and hit Go →
enEnglish
enEnglishfrFrançaiselελληνικάdeDeutscheitItalianozh-CN中文ptPortuguêsesEspañoltrTürkçehrHrvatskija日本語hiहिंदी
enEnglish
enEnglishfrFrançaiselελληνικάdeDeutscheitItalianozh-CN中文ptPortuguêsesEspañoltrTürkçehrHrvatskija日本語hiहिंदी

Xylella Fastidiosa Identified in Rosemary Plants in Portugal

By Daniel Dawson
Aug. 13, 2021 14:52 UTC
Summary Summary

Authorities in Portugal have detected Xylella fas­tidiosa bac­te­ria in two rose­mary plants in Lisbon and the Algarve dur­ing rou­tine checks, with a total of 166 sam­ples cur­rently being ana­lyzed. Measures have been taken to test all sus­cep­ti­ble plants in 50-meter zones in both loca­tions, as con­cerns grow over the poten­tial role of the meadow spit­tle­bug in spread­ing the dis­ease, which has caused out­breaks in France, Italy, and Spain.

Authorities in Portugal have detected Xylella fas­tidiosa bac­te­ria in two rose­mary plants in the cen­ter and south of the coun­try.

The General Directorate of Food and Veterinary Medicine said it iden­ti­fied the sam­ples dur­ing rou­tine checks in Lisbon and the Algarve. A total of 166 sam­ples are cur­rently being ana­lyzed.

See Also:Grant Provides Funds for Researching Xylella Fastidiosa Biopesticides

In both the Algarve, Portugal’s south­ern­most region, and Lisbon, a zone with a 50-meter radius has been set up in which all plants sus­cep­ti­ble to Xylella fas­tidiosa are being tested. Additionally, a 2.5‑kilometer buffer zone has also been set up in both loca­tions to stem the spread of the dis­ease.

Authorities have not been able to iden­tify how either rose­mary sam­ple became infected but are report­edly con­cerned that the Philaenus spumar­ius insect, com­monly known as the meadow spit­tle­bug, may be behind the infec­tions.

Efforts are cur­rently under­way in Andalusia and Italy to track the move­ment of the insect, which is one of the pri­mary vec­tors of the deadly olive tree pathogen.

Portugal’s first case of Xylella fas­tidiosa was con­firmed in December 2018, when the bac­te­ria were iden­ti­fied in laven­der plants at a zoo in the north of the coun­try. However, it has not spread widely in the coun­try and has not infected any olive groves.

According to the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization, Xylella fas­tidiosa out­breaks have been con­firmed in three other European coun­tries: France, Italy and Spain.

More articles on:  ,

Advertisement

Related Articles