Predisposing Factors for “Olive Quick Decline Syndrome” in Salento (Apulia, Italy)

Abstract

Recently, a new severe disease has been reported in the Salento area (Apulia region, southern Italy) in the multimillennial olive agro-ecosystem, given the common name “olive quick decline syndrome” (OQDS). Together with Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca, some pathogenic fungi such as Phaeoacremonium spp. have been found associated with the disease. The main predisposing factors to the disease seem to be local cultivar susceptibility, depletion of some micronutrients in the soil that could be related to some agronomical practices favoring the depletion of soil fertility, an incorrect pruning cycle, climatic changes that result in increased soil waterlogging, and frost and drought events. The possible synergistic action of microorganisms other than X. f. subsp. pauca cannot be excluded. The features characterizing the areas where OQDS first appeared and subsequently spread, described and discussed here, would point to a rather fragile environment where one or more adverse climatic and/or edaphic factors could have acted together. The intrinsic peculiarities and management of the Salento olive agro-ecosystem could also have played a fundamental role in enhancing the virulence of X. f. subsp. pauca once introduced from abroad.