The Generalitat Valenciana confirms the first case of Xylella fastidiosa in the Peninsula
The Department of Agriculture, Environment, Climate Change and Rural Development of the Generalitat Valenciana has confirmed the first detection of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in a plantation of almonds in the municipality of Guadalest in the Alicante region of the Navy Low.
It is a plantation whose specimens are more than 30 years old. As early as December 2016, asymptomatic samples were taken from this bank at the notice of its owner, who had observed a decrease in the harvest. They gave negative results. A second posterior asymptomatic sampling gave conflicting results.
Finally, the Department of Plant Protection of the Department carried out a sampling on June 22th, 2017 with 17 samples, 12 of which, all in almond, have confirmed positive after the analysis carried out in the National Reference Laboratory, which is the Valencian Institute of Agrarian Investigations (IVIA). This is confirmed by the bulletin of results of Thursday 29 June and consequently the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAPAMA), the European Union, the governments of the adjacent autonomous communities and the sector are informed of the appearance of the first Outbreak of Xylella Fastidiosa in the Valencian Community and, by extension, in the Iberian Peninsula. Other olive samples collected in the vicinity of the infected plot were negative.
Since June 29th, the Conselleria has carried out insecticidal treatments against vectors (insects that can transmit the disease), both in the infected plot and in the 100 meters around, with a phytosanitary product usual in these cases.
Measures foreseen in the Comunitat Valenciana Contingency Plan for the start and destruction of the affected plot and all potentially host plant material of the existing bacterium 100 meters have begun to be adopted
The Ministry has also launched an intensive system of prospecting and analysis to determine if there is more material infected, in the vicinity of the plot, as well as in the same region and neighboring areas. On the one hand, and in compliance with Decision 789/2015, an intensive survey is planned for grids of 100 m X 100 m throughout the buffer zone, and simultaneously it is also planned to carry out a 1 kmX1 km To detect the presence of the bacteria in the radius of 10 km as in all the regions bordering this radius.
In compliance with European regulations (Decision 2015/789 and amendments), it will proceed immediately to declare a demarcated area of 10 km. Around the infected plot, although far from it, there are seven nurseries and garden centers in the demarcation, part of whose material (olive, almond, oleander, avocado, walnut, citrus, among others) has been immobilized cautiously. Traceability research has been opened to identify the origin and process of production and distribution of this material in the last three years.
Background
According to a statement issued by the Conselleria, “the detection of this first case of Xylella Fastidiosa is proof that the control systems of our plant health structure work, with the prospecting that the Ministry is doing in plantations, parks, gardens and in the natural environment, in compliance with the Regional Contingency Plan. Since 2015, all vectors of the bacterium captured in the more than 1,160 tracing points by chromotropic traps have been negative.
In 2016, more than 21,400 revisions were made and 34 possible vectors were captured.
Following the detection of this bacterium in the Balearics in November 2016, increased control and prospecting measures, as well as monitored facilities to prevent their introduction into the Region of Valencia
Until the end of last year, surveys had been carried out on more than 2,600 commercial plantations, parks and public and private gardens, as well as in natural areas. The 480 samples that were taken gave negative results for Xylella Fastidiosa.
Before any suspicion of having an infected plant, you can contact the Plant Health Service of the Conselleria (Avda de Alicante s / n de Silla -Valencia-, phone 96 120 76 94, sanitatvegetal@dgagric.caib.es).
Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterium with a very wide range of host plants, which can cause serious damage to crops such as citrus, vines, olive trees and some species of the genus Prunus, as well as numerous ornamental and forest species.
Urgency of a Coordination Plan
In this line, the UPA agrarian organization points out the need to “act soon, with intelligence and in a coordinated way to avoid that the Xylella can become a plague and generate serious economic damage”. According to UPA, “the Ministry of Agriculture must coordinate an urgent action plan against Xylella in which the Autonomous Communities and agricultural organizations participate”.
UPA has called for a plan of direct aid for farmers who suffer starvation on their farms by the presence of Xylella infection
This pest can even cause the death of affected trees, so losses, taking into account that we are talking about woody crops that take years to produce, can be “immense”.
The Union of Small Farmers has called for the promotion of research projects and the discovery of a treatment for this plant disease that, today, has no more treatment than the start of infected trees.
Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, Climate Change and Rural Development of the Generalitat Valenciana and UPA
