The Plant Health Directorate within the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights is alerting the public regarding the ‘olive quick decline syndrome’ (OQDS).

This is a devastating disease that appeared suddenly in October 2013 on olive trees in the vicinity of Gallipoli, in the province of Lecce (Salento peninsula, Apulia), Italy.

This is the first time the presence of this disease in the territory of the European Union has been recorded. It soon exploded in epidemic form, where this disease infected olive trees across 74,000 acres of the region of Apuglia.

Xylella fastidiosa is the main agent of the OQDS. This is a bacterial disease which is transmitted by small insects that feed on the plant sap. It has a very wide natural host range some of which are crops of economic relevance including grape vines, citrus, plums, peaches, olives, etc. Once established in an area, it is very difficult to control.

There are several Xylella fastidiosa subspecies which generally infect different plant hosts. The disease symptoms vary a lot, from asymptomatic associations to dieback of plants. In general, affected plants show drying, scorching, wilting of the foliage leading to plant death.

There are strong indications that OQDS of aged olive trees is a complex disorder in which three major agents are implicated, namely insect borers, fungal diseases and Xylella fastidiosa.

To date, the Plant Health Directorate did not encounter any symptoms in relation to the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS) in Malta. Nevertheless, the Plant Health Directorate is performing monitoring inspections on the hosts concerned i.e. Olives and other hosts such as almonds, oak and Oleander.

Inspections are carried out in orchards, public areas and open fields and also on plants for planting in trade, focusing mostly on trade from Italy. To date, in 2014, the Plant Health Directorate has monitored more than 4 hectares of olive plantations.

The disease cannot be controlled by any pesticide and if it is introduced in the Maltese Islands and any possible vectors are present, the disease will spread quickly due to our small size. The only control of this disease is by uprooting and burning infected trees and applying pesticides for the vectors.

The public is also invited to inform the Directorate for any similar symptoms mentioned in this press release more specifically in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. More details (pictures of symptoms etc) are to be found in the Plant health Directorate web site.

Or at: http://www.eppo.int/QUARANTINE/special_topics/Xylella_fastidiosa/Xylella_fastidiosa.htm

The contact details are the below.

Plant Biotechnology Centre

Tel: 00356 22927103 Fax: 00356 21414493

Freephone: 80072310 plant.health@gov.mt and website: www.planthealth.gov.mt.

All the above pictures were taken from a presentation given by the Italian Delegates during the Standing Committee in Brussels on Plant Health held in November 2013.

Photos: Olive trees affected by the Quick Decline Syndrome in the province of Lecce – Diseased olive tree / Symptomless and Xylella fastidiosa-free citrus tree – Symptomatic hosts: Oleander -Symptomatic hosts: Almonds – More symptoms of Xylella fastidiosa

Permalink: Plant Health Directorate information on ‘Olive Quick Decline Syndrome’