{"id":1208,"date":"2020-03-23T16:06:30","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T16:06:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=1208"},"modified":"2020-03-23T16:07:58","modified_gmt":"2020-03-23T16:07:58","slug":"the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"The fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
by Fintan Burke<\/strong><\/h5>\n

A plant disease spread by sap-sucking insects has been devastating olive and fruit orchards across southern Europe, but scientists are inching closer to halting its spread with the help of insect repelling clays, vegetative barriers and genetic analysis.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

In the late summer harvest of 2013, olive farmers in the Puglia region of southern Italy noticed that the leaves on several of their trees were turning brown and their shoots withering. The problem spread from one orchard to another, as more olive farmers found their trees were drying out and beginning to die.<\/p>\n

Genetic testing confirmed them to be infected with\u00a0Xyella fastidiosa,<\/em>\u00a0a bacteria originally found in America. Soon outbreaks appeared throughout the Mediterranean, even briefly as far north as Germany in 2016.<\/p>\n

The bacteria is mainly spread by sap-sucking insects known as spittlebugs and sharpshooters. As the insects feed, the bacteria is able to infect the vessels that transport water and nutrients around the plant, known as the xylem. As the bacteria destroy the xylem, it slowly chokes the plant.<\/p>\n

\u2018We are dealing with a very severe situation in southern Italy,\u2019 said Dr Maria Saponari, based at the Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection in Bari, Italy. Europe\u2019s researchers were caught off-guard by the epidemic, she explained. \u2018When the bacterium was discovered here, there wasn\u2019t any research centre in Europe working specifically on this pathogen. We were starting from zero.\u2019<\/p>\n

The disease can infect a wide range of plants, including shrubs like the myrtle-leaf milkwort and rosemary, oak trees, and important crops like lavender. Food crops including cherry trees, plum trees and olive trees are among the\u00a0species considered to be at high risk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In particular, the outbreak has amplified problems in Italy\u2019s strained olive oil sector. In 2018, the country reported a\u00a057% drop in its olive harvest<\/a>\u00a0compared to 2017 \u2013 a 25-year low. Researchers blamed a frosty spring followed by a summer drought, which weakened the olive trees and left them even more susceptible to infection.<\/p>\n

The intense summer weather in southern Italy may also have made it easier for the disease to spread among olive trees as insects carrying the bacteria sought out food in the dry conditions. \u2018Here in summer, olives are the only green plants that we see,\u2019 said Dr Saponari. \u2018Olive canopies, for them, (are) like a refuge to survive.\u2019<\/p>\n

While the disease has been found in a number of EU countries, it appears \u2018the strains that have been imported in Corsica or in Spain are much less aggressive than the strain spreading in Puglia\u2019, added Dr Saponari.<\/p>\n

In response, Dr Saponari is leading one of several Europe-wide projects seeking ways to curb this new threat to Europe\u2019s olive crops, and monitor its spread. Her\u00a0XF-actors project<\/a>\u00a0is examining olive trees\u2019 genetics to see if some of the plants have natural resistance to\u00a0Xyella fastidiosa<\/em>\u00a0that can then be used to breed crops that are more resilient against the disease.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n

\u2018We are dealing with a very severe situation in southern Italy.\u2019<\/p>\n

Dr Maria Saponari, Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, Italy<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Border plants<\/strong><\/p>\n

Researchers on the project are also conducting field experiments to look at natural strategies to combat the disease, such as using kaolin clay as an insect repellent. Others are experimenting with \u2018border plants\u2019 that can be grown around olive groves and other important crops to draw the bacteria-carrying insects away from the crops, and \u2018sentinel plants\u2019 such as the myrtle-leaf milkwort which show symptoms of bacterial infection sooner, allowing action to be taken quickly to contain an infection.<\/p>\n

It is also hoped it may be possible to contain the disease by chopping down infected plants, using more insecticide, or planting crops that are less susceptible to the bacterial strain.<\/p>\n

The project team\u2019s priority lies in assisting the early detection and containment of the disease. Field inspections and new imaging technology developed by the XF-actors project can already predict how the bacteria may spread, and how to contain it. For example, a combination of thermal images, fieldwork, and spectroscopy can now detect infection in plants and trees before any symptoms appear.<\/p>\n

All this information can then be put together to give the authorities a better idea of in which areas the disease is more likely to spread, and so where to send their inspectors next.<\/p>\n

To date, monitoring and predicting outbreaks has proven difficult. Even tracking the disease-carrying insect vectors involves hours of sweeping trees and shrubs with entomological nets, and scientists still have to unravel exactly how the bacteria passes from the insects to the plants.<\/p>\n

\u2018(Nets are) the best way to catch them,\u2019 said Professor Alberto Fereres, an entomologist based at Spain\u2019s Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Madrid. \u2018They are not very much attracted to sticky-colour traps. They communicate by sound \u2013 they don\u2019t use colours as visual cues to find their host plants.\u2019<\/p>\n

\n

\"Spittlebugs<\/p>\n

Spittlebugs are among the insects that carry the Xyella fastidiosa bacteria and infect plants as they feed. Image credit – Pavel Kirillov\/Wikimedia commons, licenced under CC BY-SA 2.0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Prof. Fereres works on the XF-actors project while also leading another project aimed at tackling pest-spread pathogens in Europe, called\u00a0POnTE<\/a>. Prof. Fereres and his team are hoping to understand how insects transmit bacterial diseases like\u00a0Xyella fastidiosa.<\/em><\/p>\n

Their research is providing some early clues for strategies to stem the transmission of the disease. One involves introducing other non-harmful bacteria into the insects that make it harder for\u00a0Xyella\u00a0<\/em>fastidiosa<\/em>\u00a0to spread.<\/p>\n

\u2018These can do two things \u2013 they can try to suppress the replication of the (Xyella<\/em>) bacteria, (and) they can also compete with the bacteria in the vector for binding sites,\u2019 explained Prof. Fereres.<\/p>\n

\u2018(This) binding site is the precise place where the virus or bacteria binds inside the insects mouthparts,\u2019 said Prof. Fereres.<\/p>\n

His team is also experimenting with antimicrobial peptides \u2013 short bits of protein \u2013 and chemicals that can interfere with the bacteria\u2019s ability to remain inside insects\u2019 bodies.<\/p>\n

The project is trying to prove which insects can pick up the bacteria from a plant and which are able to successfully transfer it to other plants as they feed.<\/p>\n

The team are conducting laboratory experiments that place infected insects on plants in controlled environments so they can pinpoint what exactly needs to happen for insects to transmit the bacteria to other plants \u2013 do they need to bite into the xylem specifically or just into other parts of the plant, for example.<\/p>\n

The bacteria could also affect each plant species differently.<\/p>\n

\u2018We don\u2019t know the genetic determinants which lead to the infection of some plant species and not other ones\u2026 that are genetically close,\u2019 says Dr Anne Sicard of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRAE) in Montpellier, France.<\/p>\n

Dr Sicard leads the\u00a0XYL-EID project<\/a>, a joint effort between INRAE, the University of California Berkeley, US, and Italy\u2019s National Research Council, which is analysing the bacteria\u2019s DNA to find out why such differences occur.<\/p>\n

Outbreak origins<\/strong><\/p>\n

The project is searching for genes involved in helping the bacteria adapt to new environments, and in particular what happened in the outbreak in Puglia. They have analysed 74 bacteria samples collected from infected olive trees from across the affected area by sequencing each of their genomes.<\/p>\n

This work is already offering some promising insights into the origin of the outbreak. All samples are genetically very similar to one another, confirming that the outbreak in Puglia is the result of the introduction and subsequent establishment of a single strain of\u00a0Xyella<\/em>\u00a0fastidiosa<\/em>. They also had a genetic similarity to a strain of the bacteria found in coffee plants in Costa Rica.<\/p>\n

But while this research may ultimately provide new ways of fighting the disease, it is unlikely to eradicate it, added Prof. Fereres.<\/p>\n

\u2018We will have to learn how to live with\u00a0Xyella<\/em>, but we will have to also develop ways to contain the disease as much as possible and to avoid situations as in the south of Italy.\u2019<\/p>\n

The research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Fintan Burke A plant disease spread by sap-sucking insects has been devastating olive and fruit orchards across southern Europe, but scientists are inching closer to halting its spread with the help of insect repelling clays, vegetative barriers and genetic analysis.\u00a0 In the late summer harvest of 2013, olive farmers in the Puglia region of … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":1209,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-energy-environment"],"yoast_head":"\nThe fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by Fintan Burke A plant disease spread by sap-sucking insects has been devastating olive and fruit orchards across southern Europe, but scientists are inching closer to halting its spread with the help of insect repelling clays, vegetative barriers and genetic analysis.\u00a0 In the late summer harvest of 2013, olive farmers in the Puglia region of ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Horizon Magazine Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-03-23T16:06:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-03-23T16:07:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/03\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\"},\"headline\":\"The fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-23T16:06:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-03-23T16:07:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1357,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Earth, Energy & Environment\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2020\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/\",\"name\":\"The fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease - Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-23T16:06:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-03-23T16:07:58+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1920,\"caption\":\"The discovery of Xyella fastidiosa in European olive trees in 2013 caught European researchers off-guard.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1208\\\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"description\":\"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"width\":601,\"height\":283,\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/horizon.magazine.eu\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/HorizonMagEU\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/author\\\/horizonmagazine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease - Horizon Magazine Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease","og_description":"by Fintan Burke A plant disease spread by sap-sucking insects has been devastating olive and fruit orchards across southern Europe, but scientists are inching closer to halting its spread with the help of insect repelling clays, vegetative barriers and genetic analysis.\u00a0 In the late summer harvest of 2013, olive farmers in the Puglia region of ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/","og_site_name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","article_published_time":"2020-03-23T16:06:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-03-23T16:07:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1920,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/03\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Horizon Magazine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Horizon Magazine","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/"},"author":{"name":"Horizon Magazine","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679"},"headline":"The fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease","datePublished":"2020-03-23T16:06:30+00:00","dateModified":"2020-03-23T16:07:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/"},"wordCount":1357,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/03\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["Earth, Energy & Environment"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2020","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/","name":"The fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease - Horizon Magazine Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/03\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2020-03-23T16:06:30+00:00","dateModified":"2020-03-23T16:07:58+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/03\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/03\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1920,"caption":"The discovery of Xyella fastidiosa in European olive trees in 2013 caught European researchers off-guard."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1208\/the-fight-to-save-europes-olive-trees-from-disease\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The fight to save Europe\u2019s olive trees from disease"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","description":"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","width":601,"height":283,"caption":"Horizon Magazine Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679","name":"Horizon Magazine","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Horizon Magazine"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU"],"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/author\/horizonmagazine\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/03\/Olivenhain_mit_Xylella_fastidiosa_bei_Surano_LE_190710-scaled.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgtNKV-ju","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2020,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2020\/organic-pesticides-to-provide-natural-protection-for-endangered-crops\/","url_meta":{"origin":1208,"position":0},"title":"Organic pesticides to provide natural protection for endangered crops","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"April 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Some vitally important European crops like vines and olives are being devastated by disease. Scientists are searching for biological replacements for chemical pesticides to improve crop and human health. \u00a0 The threat to agriculture from invasive species is huge. The United Nations (UN) estimates that plant disease costs the world\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/fabio_michele_cape.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/fabio_michele_cape.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/fabio_michele_cape.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/fabio_michele_cape.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/fabio_michele_cape.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":32,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/32\/forest-plantations-are-a-potent-blend-for-coffee-production\/","url_meta":{"origin":1208,"position":1},"title":"Forest plantations are a potent blend for coffee production","author":"Anthony King","date":"November 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Climate change is threatening Europe\u2019s coffee supplies, but the impacts could be diluted by planting the crops amongst trees - a technique known as agroforestry, which is\u00a0also being revived in European farming. The distinctive waft of freshly brewed coffee is a familiar wake-up smell but, next time the aroma tickles\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/11\/2048px-Coffee_Plant_near_the_Quilal%C3%AD_-_San_Juan_del_R%C3%ADo_Coco_border._resized.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/11\/2048px-Coffee_Plant_near_the_Quilal%C3%AD_-_San_Juan_del_R%C3%ADo_Coco_border._resized.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/11\/2048px-Coffee_Plant_near_the_Quilal%C3%AD_-_San_Juan_del_R%C3%ADo_Coco_border._resized.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/11\/2048px-Coffee_Plant_near_the_Quilal%C3%AD_-_San_Juan_del_R%C3%ADo_Coco_border._resized.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/11\/2048px-Coffee_Plant_near_the_Quilal%C3%AD_-_San_Juan_del_R%C3%ADo_Coco_border._resized.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/11\/2048px-Coffee_Plant_near_the_Quilal%C3%AD_-_San_Juan_del_R%C3%ADo_Coco_border._resized.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":737,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/737\/genetic-diversity-maps-to-help-forests-survive-climate-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":1208,"position":2},"title":"Genetic diversity maps to help forests survive climate change","author":"Richard Gray","date":"March 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Forests have a special magic for many of us. Steeped in folklore and fantasy, they are places for enchantments, mythical creatures and outlaws. But if they are to survive into the future, they may also need a helping hand from science. Globally, forests are having a tough time. Industrial logging,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"climate change","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/tag\/climate-change\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image credit - Mehdi Pringarbe\/INRA Avignon, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/gentree-sm.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/gentree-sm.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/gentree-sm.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/gentree-sm.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/gentree-sm.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/gentree-sm.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2133,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2133\/mediterranean-wineries-are-in-a-climate-hotspot-climatologists-are-helping-them-adapt-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1208,"position":3},"title":"Mediterranean wineries are in a climate hotspot. Climatologists are helping them adapt","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"August 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"From the possible demise of Merlot grapes in Bordeaux to loss of olive trees in north Africa, the impacts of climate change will be felt by farmers across the Mediterranean region, say climatologists. To help the region\u2019s agricultural producers cope with shifting weather patterns, and make strategic decisions now for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/08\/22-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/08\/22-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/08\/22-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/08\/22-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/08\/22-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/08\/22-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1647,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1647\/mediterranean-wineries-are-in-a-climate-hotspot-climatologists-are-helping-them-adapt\/","url_meta":{"origin":1208,"position":4},"title":"Mediterranean wineries are in a climate hotspot. Climatologists are helping them adapt","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"February 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"From the possible demise of Merlot grapes in Bordeaux to loss of olive trees in north Africa, the impacts of climate change will be felt by farmers across the Mediterranean region, say climatologists. To help the region\u2019s agricultural producers cope with shifting weather patterns, and make strategic decisions now for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/lukasz-czechowicz-m-r4OozGeN8-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/lukasz-czechowicz-m-r4OozGeN8-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/lukasz-czechowicz-m-r4OozGeN8-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/lukasz-czechowicz-m-r4OozGeN8-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/lukasz-czechowicz-m-r4OozGeN8-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/lukasz-czechowicz-m-r4OozGeN8-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2178,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2178\/protecting-forests-on-the-front-line-of-the-climate-change-battle\/","url_meta":{"origin":1208,"position":5},"title":"Protecting forests on the front line of the climate-change battle","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"October 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Forests combat global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide but they are depleted by drought. Trees that adapt to climate change conditions could hold some answers. By\u00a0\u00a0SANDRINE CEURSTEMONT Forests help counter global warming, but they are also threatened by it. Many tree species struggled this past summer as much of Europe\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/14TOP-steven-kamenar--scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/14TOP-steven-kamenar--scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/14TOP-steven-kamenar--scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/14TOP-steven-kamenar--scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/14TOP-steven-kamenar--scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/14TOP-steven-kamenar--scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1208\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}