The new Apulian initiative brings together olive growers, farm owners and researchers to save Ostuni’s centuries-old olive trees from Xylella fastidiosa.

Individual using a hand saw to prune a branch of an olive tree in a garden. - Olive Oil Times

News Briefs

Dec. 9, 2022

Authorities in Puglia Identify New Outbreak of Xylella Fastidiosa

Nearly 120 olive trees were found to be infected with the bacteria. Authorities also found Xylella fastidiosa in a previously-unknown host plant.

View from a tractor in an olive grove with rows of olive trees and a dirt path. - Olive Oil Times

Dec. 5, 2022 Production

Growers in Xylella-Ravaged Puglia Assess a Delicate Harvest

A dry landscape featuring sparse vegetation and distant ruins under a clear blue sky. - Olive Oil Times

Nov. 15, 2022 Business

Reimagining the Xylella-Devastated Landscape of Southern Puglia

An olive tree featuring a thick trunk and abundant green leaves in natural light. - Olive Oil Times

Oct. 31, 2022 News Briefs

Thousands of Xylella-Resistant Trees to Be Planted in Puglia

A grove of olive trees with bare branches in a dry, open landscape under a clear blue sky. - Olive Oil Times

Oct. 27, 2022 Business

Xylella Spreads Beyond Buffer Zones in Puglia

A large olive tree with a thick trunk and dense foliage in a green field. - Olive Oil Times

Oct. 6, 2022 Business

Lithuanian Firm Seeks Patent for Drug to Prevent Xylella

A close-up view of an ancient olive tree with a textured trunk and surrounding olive trees in black and white. - Olive Oil Times

News Briefs

Sep. 20, 2022

France Unlikely to Eradicate Xylella, Report Finds

Auditors said delays in infected plant eradication, an uncoordinated effort to identify disease vectors and lack of control measures were the reasons for their conclusion.

Aerial view showing an olive grove with trees and agricultural land in a rural setting. - Olive Oil Times

Production

Aug. 1, 2022

Xylella Fastidiosa Containment Protocol Proves Effective in Puglia

Groves following the treatment protocol to prevent the spread of the disease are healthy and produce award-winning olive oil.

A group of olive trees with bare branches in a dry field under a clear blue sky. - Olive Oil Times

News Briefs

Jul. 18, 2022

New Financial Aid for Apulian Millers Crippled by Xylella Fastidiosa

Millers will be eligible for payments of up to €200,000. The new €35 million funding is part of the broader olive sector recovery plan.

Expansive view of an olive grove with trees and a cloudy sky in the background. - Olive Oil Times

Olive Varieties

Jun. 2, 2022

Europe’s LIFE Resilience Project Offers Tools to Mitigate Spread of Xylella

LIFE Resilience has presented the results of a four-year-long project to stop the spread of Xyella fastidiosa and identify resistant varieties.

A large olive tree with a thick trunk and lush green foliage in a dry field. - Olive Oil Times

Europe

May. 12, 2022

Court Halts Removal of Xylella-Infected Millenary Trees in Puglia

Local agricultural associations protested a local court's decision and said it would result in further damage to the region’s olive trees.

An olive tree with lush green leaves and a textured trunk in a natural setting. - Olive Oil Times

Production

Apr. 28, 2022

Authorities in Italy Envision a Post-Xylella Puglia

Italian authorities have earmarked €50 million to help private businesses plant new crops in destroyed olive groves and improve overall biodiversity in the region.

Two tractors working in a green olive orchard with rows of olive trees. - Olive Oil Times

World

Apr. 6, 2022

Improving Olive Grove Biodiversity Helps Fight Xylella Fastidiosa and Climate Change

Scientists and farmers at the latest LIFE Resilience project workshop in Portugal discussed how nature and technology will shape the future of European olive growing.

A landscape featuring barren olive trees in a dry field under a clear blue sky. - Olive Oil Times

Production

Mar. 17, 2022

Officials in Puglia Approve New Plan to Stem Spread of Xylella Fastidiosa

The goal is to monitor and combat the bacteria outbreaks that have been destroying traditional and monumental olive groves for nearly a decade.

A wooden house on a hillside, surrounded by lush green plants and trees. - Olive Oil Times

Europe

Mar. 8, 2022

Xylella Arrived in Italy from a Costa Rican Coffee Plant, Researchers Say

A study concluded that the genomes of Xylella fastidiosa in Apulian olive trees descended directly from Costa Rican coffee plants.

A panoramic view of a dry landscape featuring leafless trees and sparse vegetation under a clear blue sky. - Olive Oil Times

Business

Feb. 28, 2022

Researchers Find Another Disease Afflicting Olive Groves in Puglia

New research on olive trees in Salento revealed the spreading of a known fungus, whose drying action is much faster than Xylella bacteria.

Rows of almond trees in an orchard with a dirt path running through the center. - Olive Oil Times

News Briefs

Feb. 8, 2022

Authorities Destroy Almond Tree Infected With Xylella in Central Italy

Xylella fastidiosa multiplex, which is not known to affect olive trees, was identified by authorities in Lazio.

Aerial view of rocky cliffs meeting the blue ocean under a clear sky. - Olive Oil Times

News Briefs

Jan. 4, 2022

Researchers Identify Xylella Vectors on Balearic Islands

Two species of insects were identified as the main vectors of the deadly olive tree pathogen on the Spanish islands.

A drone flying in the foreground with a person operating it in the background during sunset. - Olive Oil Times

Business

Dec. 17, 2021

Dogs and Drones: New Projects in Puglia Emphasize Early Detection Against Xylella

Using thermal sensing and the powerful noses of dogs, authorities in Puglia ramp up efforts to detect the latest outbreaks of Xylella fastidiosa before symptoms occur.

A landscape featuring several olive trees with bare branches under a clear blue sky and bright sun. - Olive Oil Times

Production

Dec. 1, 2021

New Olive Trees Are Being Planted in Xylella-Ravaged Puglia

A new law in Italy has changed monitoring and removal operations in Xylella-plagued areas. Funds are being used to replant trees and compensate millers.

Olives collected in nets during the harvesting process in an olive grove. - Olive Oil Times

Production

Nov. 10, 2021

Producers in Southern Italy in Crisis as Challenges Mount

From the hot and dry summer to the Covid-fueled labor shortages and unrelenting spread of Xylella fastidiosa, many farmers in Puglia find themselves in an emergency.