Bacteria that kills olive trees spreads from Italy to Spain’s Balearic Islands

The regional government of the Balearic Islands says Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium that kills fruit-bearing plants such as olive trees, is now threatening its agricultural sector. In a bid to control its spread, authorities have destroyed some 2,000 fruit trees so far. At the same time, a ban has been imposed on the export of fruit or cuttings from susceptible species such as olives, cherries, grapes and almonds, as well as ornamental fruits. One year ago, the bacteria devastated olive plantations in the Italian province of Lecce. In the end, more than a million specimens were destroyed, either by the disease itself or by the authorities in the attempt to prevent the bacteria from spreading. Balearic Islands, which include Menorca, Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera, have been declared a containment area while authorities try to stop the spread of the blight, which first attacks leaves, then the stem, and finally kills the roots. There are more than 20,000 hectares of almond trees, 10,000 hectares of olive trees and 2,000 hectares of grapevines. These plots are much smaller than they are in mainland Spain, where agriculture is a primary sector, but some of the trees are a key part of the islands’ landscape, including some centuries-old olive trees.