The Xylella fastidiosa plague has affected until October 2021 plots of 31 municipalities of the Valencian Community and the infection has been diagnosed on ten plant samples.
To date, the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) has confirmed that the subspecies of Xylella fastidiosa detected in the Community is the multiplex.
From the surveys carried out during 2021, the Bacteriology Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition until October 11 has diagnosed Xylella fastidiosa infection on certain plant samples of Acacia saligna, Calicotome spinosa, Cistus albidus , Helichrysum italicum, Laurus nobilis, Lavandula angustifolia, Polygala myrtifolia, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus dulcis and Salvia rosmarinus.
These samples came from Alfàs del Pi, Almudaina, Altea, Benasau, Beniardá, Benidoleig, Benifato, Benimantell, Benissa, Calp, Castell de Guadalest, Dénia, Finestrat, Gata de Gorgos, Llíber, Pedreguer, Penàguila, Planes, Poble Nou de Benitatxell , Polop, Ràfol d’Almunia, Sella, Senija, Tàrbena, Teulada, Tormos, Vall de Gallinera, Vall de Laguar, Vall d’Ebo, Xàbia and Xaló, according to the latest resolution published in the DOGV declaring the sixteenth Pest situation update.
The list of terms affected in full since the declaration of the plague includes 46 municipalities in the province of Alicante, and partially there are 28, while in the province of Valencia there are two (Oliva and Villalonga).
Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterium that lives in the xylem of plants and is responsible for several diseases with very serious economic effects: Pierce’s disease in the vineyard, variegated chlorosis in citrus, rapid decline in olive trees, and wilting of numerous woody and herbaceous species. Its transmission is by insect vectors and the main route of spread is trade in infected plants.
The first time an outbreak of this pest was declared in the Community was in 2017, and urgent phytosanitary eradication and control measures were adopted to prevent its spread.
Since then and until now, Xylella has been detected in 21 plant species in the region: Acacia saligna, Asparagus acutifolius, Calicotome spinosa, Cistus albidus, Cistus mosnpeliensis, Cistus salvifolius, Genista scorpius, Helichrysum italicum, Helichrysum stoechas, Laurus nobilis, Lavandula angustifolia. , Lavandula dentata, Lavandula latifolia, Phagnalon saxatile, Polygala myrtifolia, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus domestica, Prunus dulcis, Rhamnus alaternus, Salvia rosmarinus, and Ulex parviflorus.
The fight against the bacteria consists first of all in establishing an infected zone with a radius of 50 meters around it and a buffer zone of 2.5 km around it.
The phytosanitary measures of eradication and control will be executed by the owners or, where appropriate, directly by the competent Public Administration, under the supervision of the General Directorate of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.
These consist of carrying out phytosanitary treatments in the entire demarcated area against the vector insect population of Xylella fastidiosa, in all its phases; Immediately eliminate from the infected area infected plants, those with signs or suspicion, those that are of the same species as those infected, those that are different but with infection in other parts of the demarcated area, and those defined in the European regulation.
The destruction of the plants must be carried out in situ, within a maximum period of 15 days from the publication of the Resolution that declared new detections of Xylella fastidiosa, and the owners of the plots must allow access to administration personnel.
In the event that the owner decides to carry out the destruction by his own means, it must be executed in the presence of an official of the Conselleria who accredits the act.
The planting of vegetables specified for Xylella fastidiosa subspecies multiplex in the infected area is prohibited, with exceptions, as well as the planting of ornamental species of the genus Polygala sensitive to Xylella in public spaces.