The Xylella fastidiosa bacterium – N. Lygeros
The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is causing increasing damage to crops in Italy and there is, of course, a risk of it spreading. This bacterium infects pear, almond and peach trees, as well as olive trees. This new outbreak is taking on enormous proportions due to the size of the olive groves. And at present, combating the disease once it has appeared is extreme and irreversible for the tree, as it essentially leads to its destruction. So, before we get to the bacterial level, it is worth recalling that Xylella fastidiosa is transmitted by insects of the families Cicadellidae and Cercopidae, which suck on the vessels that carry water from the tree’s roots to its leaves. The bacterium causes the vessels to become blocked, resulting in the gradual death of the plant. As the disease spreads at elevated temperatures but is also linked to water, it would be advisable to conduct experiments using zeolite to investigate its effectiveness as a preventative measure.
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