Olive Cultivation Research Articles

Determination of Nutritional Status of Northwest Anatolia (North Aegean) Olive Growing Areas

The study was carried out to determine the productivity of olive plantations in 8 different districts of The North Aegean Region. For this purpose, soil and leaf samples were taken simultaneously from 26 different olive groves. 69.23% of the investigated surface soils (0-30 cm) are sandy loam, and 57.69% of the subsurface soils (30-60 cm) are sandy loam. It was determined that more than 50% of the soils were slightly alkaline and the lime contents were low at both depths. It is seen that the organic matter contents of 11% of the surface soils and 8% of the subsurface soils are low. Nitrogen contents at both depths are in the low class 38.46%. The available phosphorus contents of 23.08% of the surface soils and 11.54% of the subsurface soils are sufficient. Available potassium and calcium contents in all surface soils are sufficient. It was determined that the potassium content in 34.61% of the subsurface soils and the calcium content in 53.84% of the subsurface soils were sufficient and very high. It was determined that the available Mg content in 61.54% of the surface soil and 57.69% of the subsurface soil, was sufficient and very high. Sodium contents were determined adequately at both depths. When the leaf macro and secondary elements were examined according to the sufficiency limit values 46.15% of N, 26.92% of Ca 3.8% of Mg, and all the P and K contents, were found to be sufficient. of the microelements, 42.31% of B, 76.92% of Fe, 46.15% of Mn and 38.46% of Zn are sufficient. Considering the results of the study, it is recommended to make fertilizer recommendation based on the results of soil and leaf analysis in parallel with the regular cultural practices in order to obtain quality and high yield in North Aegean sustainable olive cultivation.

Changing fire regimes during the first olive cultivation in the Mediterranean Basin: New high-resolution evidence from the Sea of Galilee, Israel

Throughout the Mediterranean biome, fire has been a dominant natural agent of change and an important tool for anthropogenic landscape modifications for millennia. However, fundamental knowledge on the complex linkages among fire, vegetation, and early agricultural practices remains limited. This research explores the role these processes have in shaping the landscape in the southern Levant – a key region with a long tradition of agriculture and horticulture. Olive horticulture is among the oldest and most widespread agricultural forms in the Mediterranean Basin. The earliest palynological evidence for olive horticulture is recorded in the Sea of Galilee in Israel and suggests that the first major olive cultivation began during the end of the 8th millennium BP. We present a multi-proxy dataset from the Sea of Galilee before and during the first olive cultivation (~7700–6680 a cal BP). Quantitative analyses of a charcoal time series categorized into distinct charcoal morphotypes indicate changes in fire regimes and sources of biomass burning. With a two-year-resolution, our study offers one of the highest resolution sedimentary charcoal records yet available worldwide. Isotopes from lake carbonates provide new evidence for the climatic setting of this phase, providing an independent evaluation of climatic impacts on vegetation and fire. Combined with palynological evidence, this multi-proxy dataset provides new insights into the linkages between fire, climate, fuel, and early horticultural practice. The fire regime changed with the start of olive cultivation in the Sea of Galilee's catchment. Fire frequency increased just before and during the expansion of olive cultivation, probably driven by the anthropogenic use of fire for clearing the landscape and promoting fertile soils. Once olive orchards were established, low magnitude fires became common, suggesting anthropogenic manipulation of the fire regime with frequent, low intensity, controlled burnings. Fuel limitation and low fuel connectivity likely played a role in both pre-cultivation and cultivation phases, resulting in low fire activity during times of reduced grass and woody vegetation cover. This study allows a new perspective into the temporal variability of middle-Holocene fire regimes in the Levant and an increased understanding of the dynamic role of fire during early horticulture practices. Our data also have relevance for future challenges that cultural legacies such as olive cultivation will face.

Development of a Real-Time Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for the Rapid Detection of Olea Europaea Geminivirus.

A real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for simple, rapid and efficient detection of the Olea europaea geminivirus (OEGV), a virus recently reported in different olive cultivation areas worldwide. A preliminary screening by end-point PCR for OEGV detection was conducted to ascertain the presence of OEGV in Sicily. A set of six real-time LAMP primers, targeting a 209-nucleotide sequence elapsing the region encoding the coat protein (AV1) gene of OEGV, was designed for specific OEGV detection. The specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of the diagnostic assay were determined. The LAMP assay showed no cross-reactivity with other geminiviruses and was allowed to detect OEGV with a 10-fold higher sensitivity than conventional end-point PCR. To enhance the potential of the LAMP assay for field diagnosis, a simplified sample preparation procedure was set up and used to monitor OEGV spread in different olive cultivars in Sicily. As a result of this survey, we observed that 30 out of 70 cultivars analyzed were positive to OEGV, demonstrating a relatively high OEGV incidence. The real-time LAMP assay developed in this study is suitable for phytopathological laboratories with limited facilities and resources, as well as for direct OEGV detection in the field, representing a reliable method for rapid screening of olive plant material.

Current Status of Biodiversity Assessment and Conservation of Wild Olive (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. sylvestris).

Oleaster (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. sylvestris) is the ancestor of cultivated olive (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. europaea) and it is spread through the whole Mediterranean Basin, showing an overlapping distribution with cultivated olive trees. Climate change and new emerging diseases are expected to severely affect the cultivations of olive in the future. Oleaster presents a higher genetic variability compared to the cultivated olive and some wild trees were found adapted to particularly harsh conditions; therefore, the role of oleaster in the future of olive cultivation may be crucial. Despite the great potential, only recently the need to deeply characterize and adequately preserve the wild olive resources drew the attention of researchers. In this review, we summarized the most important morphological and genetic studies performed on oleaster trees collected in different countries of the Mediterranean Basin. Moreover, we reviewed the strategies introduced so far to preserve and manage the oleaster germplasm collections, giving a future perspective on their role in facing the future agricultural challenges posed by climatic changes and new emerging diseases.

Studies on archaeological olive fruitstones from the Archaic and Punic periods (7th–3rd century bc) of Sardinia, Italy

Recent archaeological investigations in the lagunas di Santa Giusta and Mistras, waterlogged sites in central-west Sardinia, Italy, have enabled the recovery of archaeobotanical remains, exceptional in terms of quantity and preservation, dated to the Archaic and Punic periods in the 7th–3rd century bc. Among the finds was a significant amount of Olea europaea fruitstones (endocarps), which are discussed here. The morphometric features of these fruitstones, extrapolated by image analysis, were analysed statistically and compared to modern wild olive populations and cultivars. Thanks to the image analysis, it was possible to recognize the presence of O. europaea var. sylvestris (wild olive) and O. europaea var. europaea (cultivated olive) from the Archaic and Punic periods and to make suggestions about their use. Moreover, most of the cultivated type fruitstones identified by the statistical analysis can be attributed to a group of modern Sardinian cultivars, providing new data on the origin of cultivation and use of olives in Sardinia.

Chamomile and Anise Cultivation in Olive Agroforestry Systems

Agroforestry systems have been practiced for hundreds of years with multiple benefits both environmentally and economically in terms of productivity. Olive cultivation is widespread in the countries of the Mediterranean basin, including Greece. Agroforestry practices are common in olive groves, but little research has been conducted on the productivity of such systems, especially with medicinal–aromatic plants (MAPs) as understory crops. Natural populations of MAPs can be found in various ecosystems, while some of them are cultivated. The purpose of this research was to study the effects of fertilization and shading both on yield and chemical composition of essential oils derived from chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) and anise (Pimpinella anisum L.), grown in olive silvoarable systems. Fertilization and shading increased the plant height of chamomile and delayed the flowering. In addition, fertilization increased the concentration of α-bisabolol oxide A and (Z)–spiroether, and reduced the α-bisabolone oxide A and hamazulen. Shade also reduced α-bisabolone oxide A and hamazulen but increased the α-bisabolol oxide B. In the case of anise, fertilization increased plant height, decreased the concentration of limonene, and increased the concentration of E-anethole. Shading reduced plant height. Intercropping of olive trees with chamomile and anise yielded essential oils rich in the substances defined by the commercial specifications.

Saurani Zeytinyağinin Bazi Kalite Parametreleri Üzerine Zeytin Olgunluğunun Etkisi

There are 97 local olive varieties registered in our country, and Saurani is an olive variety from originating Hatay/Altınözü. Hatay province, which ranks first in olive production in the Mediterranean Region, has very suitable climate and soil conditions for olive cultivation. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of olive maturity on quality parameters such as free fatty acids, peroxide value and fatty acid composition of the oil obtained from the Saurani olive variety grown in Hatay. For this purpose, olive oil was obtained by mechanical method from olives collected from Saurani variety in 3 different maturity periods of the 2020 production season. In Saurani olive oil, free fatty acids and peroxide numbers were found in the range of 0.62-0.91 % (oleic acid) and 3.68-5.26 meq O2/kg respectively. The amount of free fatty acids increased with maturity. In Saurani olive oil were determined oleic acid in the range of 66.32%-68.79%, palmitic acid in the range of12.47-13.75%, linoleic acid in the range of 11.43-13.84%, stearic acid in the range of 3.16-3.42%, palmitoleic acid 1.12%-1.34%, linolenic acid 0.88-1.01% and arachidic acid 0.41-0.52. It was determined that decrease in oleic acid content and an increase in linoleic acid content with maturity. It has been determined that Saurani olive oil is within the limits specified in the Turkish Food Codex on Olive Oil and Pirina Olive Oil in terms of the examined properties.

The RothC Model to Complement Life Cycle Analyses: A Case Study of an Italian Olive Grove

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a fundamental role in soil health, and its storage in soil is an important element to mitigate climate change. How to include this factor in Life Cycle Assessment studies has been the object of several papers and is still under discussion. SOC storage has been proposed as an additional environmental information in some applications of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). In the framework of wider activity aimed at producing the PEF of olive oil, the RothC model was applied to an olive cultivation located in Lazio region (Italy) to calculate the SOC storage and assess four scenarios representing different agricultural practices. RothC applicability, possible use of its results for improving product environmental performance, and relevance of SOC storage in terms of CO2eq compared to greenhouse gas emissions of the life-cycle of olive oil are discussed in this paper. According to the results, in all scenarios, the contribution in terms of CO2eq associated with SOC storage is remarkable compared to the total greenhouse gas emissions of the olive oil life-cycle. It is the opinion of the authors that the calculation of the SOC balance allows a more proper evaluation of the agricultural products contribution to climate change, and that the indications of the scenarios analysis are useful to enhance the environmental performance of these products. The downside is that the application of RothC requires additional data collection and expertise if compared to the execution of PEF studies.

Olive reproductive phenology in a warm and humid region of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Olive cultivation has been spread across Brazil subtropical regions, but yields have been variable through years and locations. The objectives of this work were to characterize the reproductive phenology and quantify some productive indexes of three olive cultivars (Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki) in the warm, humid subtropical climate of western Santa Catarina, Brazil. Shoots of the three cultivars were marked and the quantitative indices of flowering and fruiting were observed periodically. At the same time, the reproductive phenology was evaluated following the BBCH scale, during three seasons, in Chapecó. Reproductive budburst varied from 0 to 32%, which resulted in a relatively low number of flowers per meter of shoot if compared to traditional growing regions, unlike fruit set rates (3.69 to 11.39%), which were similar. Compared to other regions, flowering time was early: inflorescences started to grow from end of June to mid-July, depending on the year. Then maturation was precocious as well, from the end of December to mid-March, and it was later in Koroneiki. The low flowering intensity with risk of frost damages discourages the production initiative in the region.

Analiza energije različitih sistema gajenja masline u semiaridnom regionu

The objective of this study was to determine the input-output energy of olive cultivation in a semiarid region of Çanakkale, Republic of Turkey. Data were collected from olive farmers by a questionnaire for traditional-flat/sloping and intensive-flat systems in last growing season. The results revealed that net energy gain was higher in intensive system than in traditional flat and sloping ones. Similarly, energy ratio was higher in intensive by 1.46 MJ ha-1 than in sloping and flat of traditional by 1.42 and 1.38 MJ ha-1 , respectively. The highest energy productivity was recorded in the intensive (0.93 MJ ha-1), but the lowest was in the traditional-sloping (0.75 MJ ha-1), and then in the traditional-flat (0.92 MJ ha-1). Indeed, the intensive system produced higher olive yields which allow using a higher level of fertilizer, water and mechanization, but also the energy analysis revealed that its efficiency in the energy was higher than two traditional systems. The results suggested that intensive system could be a better cultivation system in flat areas for the region farmers in an increasingly competitive without worsening environmental sustainability.

Effect of the exposure period to different water salt levels on the morphological behavior of olive plants

The increasing salinity of water and soil is one of the environmental factors that most threatens the sustainability of olive cultivation systems in the Mediterranean basin. The identification of plant material with high tolerance to this stress would be one of the ways to solve this challenge, but it is generally a slow and expensive process. The selection of the most reliably parameters involved in the response of the plant to salinity and that are easy to evaluate, could help to speed up the identification of the most tolerant genotypes. The objective of this study is to determine the most interesting morphological characters which could be used in future as early criteria in the selection process of olive tolerant genotypes. For that, young plants, three-month-old, were exposed to salinity (0, 4 and 8 g/L NaCl) during different periods of time (30, 50 and 70 days), and several morphological parameters were assessed. The obtained results showed that most of the parameters were affected by the concentration 8 g/L of NaCl after a treatment period of 50 days. The most affected parameters by this level of salinity were the plant height, the leaf number and the number of lateral shoots. The PCA analysis showed that the number of lateral shoots was poorly correlated with the other parameters, but the height and the leaf number were highly correlated with each other.

PERSPECTIVE OF OLIVE FARMING AT BAJURA, NEPAL: MAIN OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Olive crop farming is getting popular in western higher altitude districts of Nepal, economically, and socially as a sustainable source of rural income and employment. Our survey is beneficial in determining the primary constraints and opportunities of Olive (Olea europaea) in Nepal’s Bajura district.75 olive growers are randomly selected through the Raosoft sample calculator and a survey have performed. The design of the survey is a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and 2 focus group discussions through descriptive statistical analysis for problem and prospects ranking is done. Chi-square test, t-test, and a linear regression model are used for quantitative data analysis. Our study shows land holding capacity of more than half of olive growers is less than 5 Ropani, sixty-four percent of farmers are lacking training on organic farming and engaging in olive farming from 5 to 15 years through conventional style, lacks of quality planting materials, olive specific research on pest and diseases, etc. The promoted factor for olive cultivation is comparative advantage, increasing demand, high export potential, subsidies and training programs in the small area, etc. our study help researchers and policymaker to visualize the problem and prospects for making a strong foundation for economic status improvement through commercial olive farming in Bajura, Nepal.

Aplicação de Unidades de Calor Acumulado no Controle da Traça da Oliveira, Prays Oleae (BERN.) (Lep., Praydidae), em Oliveiras do Sul da Espanha

Abstract Olive moth, Prays oleae, is one of the most important phytophagous of olive cultivation in the Mediterranean basin. Its control is based on the application of chemical insecticides, sometimes combined with the release of natural enemies. The need for application is established according to population thresholds. How-ever, the wide range of environmental conditions requires the adoption of comple-mentary elements that allow the adequate time of applications to the phenological stages responsible for the damage. During the years 2013, 2014 and 2015, weekly observations of the insect phenology have been performed in 10 plots of olive trees at different altitudes (253 m to 1017 m) in the province of Jaén (southern Spain), recording daily temperature variations at 4-hour intervals. This has allowed deter-mining the thermal integrals for the three insect generations and to specify the in-fluence of the altitude on its development periods, more especially in those corre-sponding to the philophagous and carpophagous generations. This knowledge has allowed the development of a model-chronogram for the adjustment of treatment dates based on crop altitude.

Persistence of Seed Dispersal in Agroecosystems: Effects of Landscape Modification and Intensive Soil Management Practices in Avian Frugivores, Frugivory and Seed Deposition in Olive Croplands

Farming impacts animal-mediated seed dispersal through mechanisms operating on at least two spatial scales. First, at the landscape scale, through habitat loss and land conversion to agriculture/livestock grazing, and second, at the farm scale, via a local intensification of agricultural practices. These two scales of farming impact seed dispersal function but have rarely been integrated. In particular, studies evaluating the effect of agriculture on the seed dispersal function of frugivorous birds in Mediterranean ecosystems are lacking. This study evaluates the role of landscape transformation, from fruit-rich woodland habitats to olive grove landscapes, together with local intensive practices of soil management on the persistence of the seed dispersal function for Mediterranean fleshy-fruited plants in olive landscapes of south Spain. We used bird censuses, mist-nets, and seed traps to characterize avian frugivore assemblages, frugivory, and seed deposition in the seminatural woodland habitat (SNWH) patches and olive fields of 40 olives farms spanning 20 localities distributed across the whole range of olive cultivation in Andalusia (southern Spain). We found that despite the remarkable dispersal function of olive grove landscapes, avian frugivore abundance and diversity, frugivory, and seed arrival decreased in olive fields compared to SNWH patches. Likewise, SNWH cover loss and/or olive growing expansion decreased avian frugivory and seed arrival. Interestingly, the habitat effects in the olive farms often depended on the landscape context. In particular, less diverse fruit-eating bird assemblages pooled in SNWH patches as olive grove cover increased or SNWH decreased in the landscape, while remaining relatively invariant in the olive fields. Finally, compared to conventional intensive agriculture, low-intensity management increased frugivory and seed deposition. We conclude that olive fields are less permeable to frugivores than expected due to the agroforest-like nature of these landscapes and that the presence of SNWH patches is crucial for the maintenance of frugivory and seed dispersal in agricultural landscapes. These results evidence that woodland habitat loss by olive expansion and intensive practices seriously threaten the dispersal service in olive-dominated landscapes. Maintenance, restoration, and promotion of woodland patches should be prioritized for the conservation of seed dispersal service and for enhancing the functional connectivity in human-shaped olive landscapes.

Modelling actual evapotranspiration using a two source energy balance model with Sentinel imagery in herbaceous-free and herbaceous-cover Mediterranean olive orchards

Precipitation deficit and more extreme drought and precipitation events are expected to increase in the Mediterranean region due to global warming. A great part of this region is covered by olive orchards, representing 97.5% of the world's olive agricultural area. Thus, the adaptation of olive cultivation demands climate-smart management, such as the optimization of water use efficiency, since evapotranspiration is one of the most important components of the water balance. The novelty of this work is the combination of the remote sensing data fusion and the Two Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model (through Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 imagery) to estimate the actual daily evapotranspiration (ETd), at high spatial (20 m) and temporal (daily) resolution, in an olive orchard under two management regimes: herbaceous free (HF) and herbaceous-cover (HC); along a three years period, based on the hypothesis that TSEB is still able to track and estimate the evapotranspiration over more complex canopies. The study was carried out from 2016 to 2019 in an olive orchard in the South of Spain, where the flux estimates were validated and assessed by in situ eddy covariance (EC) measurements. The results show better agreement in HC for net radiation (Rn) and the soil heat flux (G), but similar for both surfaces regarding the sensible (H) and latent (λE) heat fluxes, as well as ETd. On both surfaces greater differences obtained at higher H, and the magnitude of overestimation of λE and ETd were influenced by the EC energy imbalance. By contrast, G was overestimated with HC probably influenced by herbs, and equally underestimated for HF surfaces. The obtained results are in agreement with similar studies in tree crop orchards, and show the consistency of the used methodology and its usefulness for some farming activities, even on the more heterogeneous surface.

Land suitability assessment for Olive cultivation using GIS and multi-criteria decision-making in Mersin City, Turkey

Land suitability assessment for Olive cultivation using GIS and multi-criteria decision-making in Mersin City, Turkey

Preserving wintering frugivorous birds in agro‐ecosystems under land use change: Lessons from intensive and super‐intensive olive orchards

Abstract Fleshy fruit production is becoming more intensive worldwide, but how this affects frugivorous birds is poorly known. In the Mediterranean region, intensive and super‐intensive olive orchards are fast expanding, potentially affecting millions of wintering songbirds. Here, we test the idea that intensification may benefit frugivorous birds, at least locally, due to increased fruit availability, while negatively affecting the wider wintering bird community due to intensive management, structural simplification and landscape homogenisation. We estimated olive abundance and surveyed birds in early, mid‐ and late winter, at traditional, intensive and super‐intensive orchards in southern Portugal. We used Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities to relate species richness, prevalence and abundance to management intensity, winter period, olive availability and landscape context, and evaluated the role of frugivory in modulating observed responses. Olive availability was much higher throughout the winter in more intensive than in traditional orchards, both in trees and on the ground. Frugivorous bird abundance was higher in more intensive orchards, and the most abundant frugivorous species (blackcap, song thrush, robin) were positively affected by olive availability and/or increasing landscape cover by olive orchards, while intensification level had relatively minor effects after accounting for other variables. Non‐frugivorous richness and abundance were higher in traditional orchards, and many non‐frugivorous species had lower prevalence in more intensive orchards or were negatively affected by landscapes dominated by olive cultivation. Synthesis and applications. While negatively affecting the wider bird community, our results suggest that olive farming intensification can contribute to sustaining large numbers of frugivorous birds in the Mediterranean region. As frugivorous birds are not seen as damaging by olive farmers, there is an opportunity to promote their conservation in intensive and super‐intensive orchards, which requires management to increase habitat heterogeneity, and to reduce risks such as mortality associated with mechanical harvest and contamination with pesticide residues. Overall, we recommend that efforts to manage farmland biodiversity should consider the impacts and conservation opportunities of fruit crop intensification.

Long-Term Impact of Phosphorous Fertilization on Yield and Alternate Bearing in Intensive Irrigated Olive Cultivation.

Phosphorus (P) availability significantly impacts olive tree reproductive development and consequential fruit production. However, the importance of P fertilization in olive cultivation is not clear, and P application is usually recommended only after P deficiency is identified. In order to determine the long-term impacts of continuous P fertilization in intensive irrigated olive cultivation, the growth and production of trees in an intensive orchard with or without P fertilization were evaluated over six consecutive seasons. Withholding of P resulted in significant reduction in soil P quantity and availability. Under lower P availability, long-term fruit production was significantly impaired due to reduced flowering and fruit set. In addition, trees under conditions of low P were characterized by higher alternate bearing fluctuations. Olive tree vegetative growth was hardly affected by P fertilizer level. The impairment of tree productivity was evident in spite of the fact that leaf P content in the treatment without P fertilization did not decrease below commonly reported and accepted thresholds for P deficiency. This implies that the leaf P content sufficiency threshold for intensive olive orchards should be reconsidered. The results demonstrate the negative impact of insufficient P fertilization and signify the need for routine P fertilization in intensive olive cultivation.

Economic and Environmental Sustainability of Olive Production: A Case Study

This paper aims to achieve an economic feasibility and life cycle assessment of three different olive cultivation systems in the Mediterranean area through the joint use of economic and environmental indicators, in order to identify the key elements to optimize their economic performance and a lower environmental impact. Three different management systems of olive cultivation were analysed by distinguishing Treatment 1—Fully Irrigated, Treatment 2—Partially Irrigated, and Treatment 3—Non-Irrigated, which were conducted through different levels of irrigation strategies. The three scenarios were examined using a Life Cycle Assessment methodology to assess the environmental impacts, and the impact in terms of water footprint was investigated using the Water Scarcity Index approach. The economic sustainability evaluation of olive cultivation was carried out through economic indicators, taking into account all of the cost and revenue factors of the olive cultivation in each management system. The results showed, overall, a suitable level of profitability of different scenarios, except for the Partially Irrigated treatment, as the investment costs of the irrigation system are not economically sustainable with regard to the revenue obtained. Furthermore, the findings highlighted the importance of irrigation management strategies to decrease agricultural practice costs and the negative environmental impact of olive production.

Xylella fastidiosa in Olive: A Review of Control Attempts and Current Management.

Since 2013, Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. has been reported to infect several hosts and to be present in different areas of Europe. The main damage has been inflicted on the olive orchards of southern Apulia (Italy), where a severe disease associated with X. fastidiosa subspecies pauca strain De Donno has led to the death of millions of trees. This dramatic and continuously evolving situation has led to European and national (Italian and Spanish) measures being implemented to reduce the spread of the pathogen and the associated olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS). Research has been also carried out to find solutions to better and directly fight the bacterium and its main insect vector, Philaenus spumarius L. In the course of this frantic effort, several treatments based on chemical or biological substances have been tested, in addition to plant breeding techniques and integrated pest management approaches. This review aims to summarize the attempts made so far and describe the prospects for better management of this serious threat, which poses alarming questions for the future of olive cultivation in the Mediterranean basin and beyond.