Italy’s olive crisis intensifies as deadly tree disease spreads

Re:Italy’s olive crisis intensifies as deadly tree disease s... by techopoly on Tuesday November 20, 2018 @10:24AM (#18494427)

I know next to nothing in this area, but what is the possibility of grafting non-susceptible varietals onto the olive trees? I know that worked for France back when they grafted Texan vines onto their own during the grape phylloxera epidemic - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_French_Wine_Blight

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Re:Italy’s olive crisis intensifies as deadly tree disease s... by chicob on Wednesday November 21, 2018 @09:45AM (#18503011)

There are no known cultivars of olive that are resistant to X. fastidiosa.

Phylloxera attacks the root, and so grafting with resistant stocks protects the scion.

In the case of X. fastidiosa, the bacteria can spread on the whole adult structures of the plant when infected vectors feed on the xylem, so grafting is not a solution.

In Portugal, Phylloxera became a synonym for madness, since the losses were colossal. I fear that Xylella fastidiosa might become the next "madness"...

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