Details on some quarantine pests in Italy
As every year, the Italian journal ‘Informatore Fitopatologico’ presents the phytosanitary status of the main crops in the Italian regions. The EPPO Secretariat has extracted the following details on several pests and diseases of quarantine interest.
Cameraria ohridella (horse chestnut leafminer): It was first found in Italy in Alto Adige (see EPPO RS 96/211). In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a severe outbreak was observed in Trieste, and the insect is now present in most parts of the region.
Erwinia amylovora (EPPO A2 quarantine pest): In Lombardia, E. amylovora has been found in 7 pear orchards in the province of Mantova. In two nurseries of the provinces of Bergamo and Mantova, several plants of apple, pear, Cotoneaster and Pyracantha were found infected.
In Veneto, fireblight has been found for the first time in 1997 in a few pear orchards, in the provinces of Rovigo and Verona.
In Emilia-Romagna, the incidence of the disease has considerably increased. 700 foci of E. amylovora were reported in 1997, essentially on pear (over 90 %). It can be recalled that the first 2 foci in this region were reported in October 1994 (EPPO RS 95/114). In addition, the disease has sporadically been observed on apple, Crataegus, Cydonia, loquats, Pyracantha. Affected pear trees are located in the provinces of Bologna, Ferrara, Modena, Reggio Emilia and Ravenna.
In all regions concerned, infected plants have been destroyed and measures to prevent any further spread are being taken.
Plum pox potyvirus (EPPO A2 quarantine pest): In Lombardia, the disease is progressively spreading. In 1997, 200 symptomatic plants were observed in 5 plum orchards and 1 peach orchard in the provinces of Brescia and Mantova.
The disease occurs in Veneto. The M strain is present in the peach-producing area of the province of Verona.
In Emilia-Romagna, new foci of plum pox potyvirus have been found in the provinces of Modena, Bologna and Ferrara.
In Abruzzo, a single focus of plum pox has been found on plum (cv. Grossa di Felisio)
In all regions concerned, infected trees have been destroyed and measures to prevent any further spread are being taken.
Xanthomonas campestris pv. pruni (EPPO A2 quarantine pest): In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the disease occurred at unusually high level in 1997. It is also present in Emilia-Romagna and Abruzzo. It is spreading on peach in Lazio.
Xanthomonas fragariae (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) has been found in the region Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta on a few cultivars, and also in Emilia-Romagna in a few nurseries.
Sources
(1998) Bilancio fitosanitario.
Informatore Fitopatologico, no. 3, 4-38.
Informatore Fitopatologico, no. 4, 8-41.