This phytopathogenic bacterium (known as Pierce’s Disease in the US) is deadly to
vines as well as olives, almonds, citrus and other fruit
trees and has been causing destruction in southern Italy, where its presence
was first detected in 2013. It was found in the Balearic Islands in 2016 and
now for the first time in mainland Spain in Alicante. The bacterium is spread
by insects which feed on the plants’ sap, and once the plant is infected a sort
of gel forms which blocks the sap flow. It has been causing extensive damage in
California since the 1930s or earlier especially in vines, usually spread by an
insect known as the “glassy winged sharpshooter”. There is no cure and all that
can be done for the moment is to uproot and destroy plants in a radius of 100 metres of
the infected one and monitor a radius of 10 kilometres to try to contain the contagion.
While insecticide will also hopefully prevent further infection, there are
prohibitions on movement of plants from infected areas and on the planting of
possible hosts. If this is the new Phylloxera, we are hopefully better prepared this time. Andalucía has been on the alert since 2014, so let us hope
Sherry will not be affected.
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| An infected vine leaf |
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