As a result of the monitoring conducted in the buffer zones – containment and infected, adult individuals of philaenus spumarius -“sputacchina”- vector of the Xylella fastidiosa quarantine bacterium were detected.
Adults of the insect are the main responsible for the spread of the disease; by feeding on sap, they can acquire the bacterium from infected olive trees and transmit it to healthy plants.
From May to August two specific treatments must be carried out against sputacchina, the first of which with immediacy as the first adults are already present. For the second treatment will be given notice.
For such treatments, integrated farms should use insecticides specifically authorised on the olive tree against the vector, based on acetamiprid or deltamethrin.
For organic farms, the Plant Health Observatory has applied to the Ministry of Health for an exceptional authorisation for spinosad products or sweet orange essential oil already authorised in organic farming.
Pending the authorisation, in organic olive groves it will be possible to intervene by using products authorized in organic in respect of other phytophages of the olive tree.
The treatments should not be performed on dry olive trees and without suckers.
