Ok - one thing that I noticed is creating confusion about olive oil production is what is happening in Puglia. Yes, they did have attacks by the olive fly, but they do every year and generally treat with specific systemic sprays that kill off most of the flies before they can lay eggs in the olives themselves. Another thing instead are the olive trees that are drying up and dying in Puglia - this is due to human error and it is difficult to blame someone directly. While some work was being done at a large residential complex, the gardening company decided to import some palm trees from south America. The trees arrived, were set into the ground and were fine. Unfortunately, and unknown to anyone, they carried a bacteria (not a virus which would have been easier to deal with) that causes them no harm but attacks and kills olive trees. Research laboratories all over Europe are trying to figure out how to stop this infestation because it is killing off the trees and this has not happened before through any kind of sickness. When we had freezes, the trees shriveled up and were cut to the ground, but the root systems simply put out new stalks the following year and the trees were reconstituted. The oil fly attacks the olives and doesnt damage the tree. This new Bacteria, instead, kills the tree completely. So a vast area in Puglia has been quaranteened and trees that were still healthy have been cut and burned to create a space of separation between the bacteria-affected trees and the healthy ones. It is hoped that some cure is found soon because the risk is that all the olive trees in Italy will be wiped out in the course of the next 10 years. So far the research has not produced any results.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 08:45:16 +0000
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