The first surveillance report for Xylella fastidiosa in olive and stone fruit orchards in Palestine

Abstract

Xylella fastidiosa has been identified as the causal agent of several horticultural plant diseases that have resulted in major economic and cultural heritage losses. In the last decade, X. fastidiosa emerged as a destructive phytopathogen on olive trees in the Apulia region, Italy, prompting widespread surveillance throughout the Mediterranean basin. The present paper reports monitoring efforts for X. fastidiosa in Palestine on olive for 5 years (2017–2022) and 1 year (2022) on stone fruit trees, as a result of international collaboration projects. No signs of olive quick decline syndrome were observed on olive trees in all the Palestinian olive-growing lands. This observation was confirmed by molecular tests using LAMP technology and PCR. In addition, 500 leaf samples from stone fruit trees (almond, apricot, peach, nectarine and plum) were tested using LAMP and PCR. All of these samples were negative for X. fastidiosa, even though few of the samples from almond trees in Idna (Hebron governorate) and apricot trees in Bal'a (Tulkarm governorate) showed leaf scorch-like symptoms. This study provides confirmation that these important horticultural crops in Palestine (olive and stone fruits) are still free of X. fastidiosa. Preventive measures and surveillance of these and other horticultural crops such as grapevine and citrus trees are strongly recommended.