Bacterium Xylella fastidiosa detected in olive trees in Southeast of Brazil

Abstract

In 2013, there was an outbreak of a disease named “olive quick decline syndrome” in Italian olive groves, associated with the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which infects the plant xylem. Symptoms initiate as a scald on the leaf tips and may develop into a desiccation of branches, leading to plant death. In 2016, a similar disease was recorded in olive groves located in Southeastern Brazil, which is also associated with a X. fastidiosa strain. Olive cultivation has emerged over the recent years as a new agricultural activity in Santa Catarina. Healthy nursery plants obtained from trustworthy nurseries should be used for the establishment of new orchards in order to prevent introduction and spread of this bacterium.