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UCP 6 - Orchard | GREECE

Verticillium dahliae (Fungus) & Pseudomonas savastanoi (Bacterium)

Pest Challenges

Verticillium dahliae is considered one of the most devastating olive pathogens worldwide causing the Verticillim wilt disease and it is a major limiting factor for olive oil production. The fungus can kill trees and is very difficult to control. Besides economic losses due to tree mortality and fruit yield reduction, the negative effect on the commercial value of virgin olive oil has been recently demonstrated due to the poor organoleptic properties from fruits of V. dahliae-infected trees. Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi is the causal bacterial agent of olive knot disease, whose symptoms include hyperplastic growths (tumorous galls or knots) on the stems and branches of the host plant and, occasionally, on leaves and fruits. The presence of knots in even a single tree normally leads to the rapid infection of the whole orchard as the pathogen is very rapidly and efficiently disseminated, with significant colonisation of healthy trees in as little as one year.

Region Challenges

Olive trees are a particularly important crop for the Region of Attica where various olive varieties are cultivated. More than 9,500 producers are engaged in olive cultivation and olive oil production in the Attica Region, producing approximately 2,700 tons of olive oil.

UCP plan

For the Greek UCP in Attica region (olives), there will be a comprehensive pilot planning in the first year of the project to start deploying STELLA solutions. Historic data and observations will be pivotal in selecting the appropriate pilot site. This location will act as the necessary testbench of the STELLA technologies and control points for pest surveillance at regional level.

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