The Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium that is lethal to olive trees, vineyards and fruit trees, which forced Italy to destroy a million olive trees and which is spreading across Spain, has reached the region of Madrid. It is the first case in the region.
This bacterium, completely harmless for people and animals, has been detected in an olive tree located in a private estate in Villarejo de Salvanés, a municipality in the south east of the region. The competent regional authorities have started to apply the necessary prevention and eradication measures in order to isolate the place of the outbreak and prevent the spread of this microorganism.
Potentially harmful
The Xylella fastidiosa can cause serious damage to crops such as olive trees, vineyards, stone fruit, citrus fruits, almonds and many ornamental species. It is transmitted naturally from one plant to another with the help of insects and could have reached the Region of Madrid in shipments of plants from areas where the bacterium is present.
The sample was analysed in a Madrid research institute and, since it was the first detection in the region, it was sent to the national bacterial reference laboratory for confirmation of the diagnosis, as prescribed in the Ministry's Contingency Plan. Once the confirmation was received, an action plan was launched to tackle the bacterium and prevent its spread.
Destruction of olive trees
Thus, both the olive tree affected and others located within a radius of 100 metres will have to be destroyed. Furthermore, insecticide and phytosanitary treatments will be carried out within a radius of 500 metres of the tree that has tested positive, both on olive trees and other plants susceptible to being affected by the bacterium.
At the same time, the Council of Environment of Madrid has started working on a compensation program for the producers affected.
Source: EFE
