Olivo news has always been at the side of science on the dramatic question of Xylella. For this reason she has always avoided giving a voice to the deniers and to conspiracy theorists who from time to time have tried not to recognize the existence of the epidemic.
With the same conviction, also supported by authoritative opinions, we believe that the sentence of the Tar of Puglia which suspended the felling of 37 monumental olive trees in the countryside of Ostuni (Br) – which is in an infected area – prescribing that “concrete implementation of alternative measures to abatement be given, no later than 30 June 2022”, has its raison d'être under the regional provisions.
And let's get to the facts. The Tar Apulia accepted the requests for the precautionary suspension of the measures with which the Puglia Region has prescribed "phytosanitary measures for the containment of the spread of Xylella fastidiosa" through the "extirpation" of trees in recent months. The owners of the infected plants complained about "the erroneous application of the sector legislation in the part in which the Region has decided to identify, as the only measure to contain the spread of Xylella fastidiosa, the eradication of the infected plants, precluding the possibility of starting studies of an experimental nature aimed at identifying alternative phytosanitary measures".
According to the judges "the point of balance between the opposing needs seems to be found in the alternative phytosanitary measures that the Puglia Region itself has recognized can be applied in relation to monumental olive trees, which enjoy special protection". For some of the plants object of the appeals, the judges also maintain that "the provision of the so-called capping of the infected olive tree, as implemented by the appellants, appears to be an insufficient measure to prevent the danger of spreading Xylella fastidiosa, also in consideration of the start of the summer season which predisposes to a greater contagion ".
Then a by June 30, the owners of infected olive trees will have to "proceed with pollarding the main branches, grafting resistant cultivars and monitoring the vector"but without eradicating them. The matter will be dealt with on the merits at the hearing on 15th December next.
He intervened on the matter the regional president of CIA Gennaro Sicolo who commented as follows: "We have always been in favor of the overgrafting of monumental trees as a possible solution to try to protect the whole plain of monumental trees, but it should be noted that on the basis of the results resulting from the first experimental tests, the probability of the regrafting taking root is significantly higher when performed on healthy trees. Overgrafting on infected plants doesn't make sense now."
