Pests and Diseases of the Olive Tree

The olive tree is a very common crop in Spain given the oil production statistics that we have. The presence of a pest or pathogen can lead to a diseased tree whose production is significantly reduced. Here we show you the main  pests and diseases of the olive tree and their possible treatments.

OLIVE TREE PESTS

OLIVE MOTH ( PRAYS OLEAE )

This lepidopteran has a grayish color. It has several generations, the first of them feeds on leaves (philophaga), the second of them feeds on flowers (antófaga), the third attacks the fruit. The damage they produce consists of the foliar reduction of the tree, also eating buds and shoots. In the second generation flowers are destroyed and in the third it damages the fruits.

These are the authorized treatments for the control of the olive moth .

 OLIVE FLY ( BACTROCERA OLEAE)

This pest appears in the months of April and May and is one of the most important in this crop. The olive fly lays its eggs inside the fruit, under the epidermis, so the olives lose their commercial value.

The damage occurs in the fruit, there are very noticeable bites that can be seen with the naked eye. As a result of the deposition of eggs and the formation of galleries, the fruit loses weight and matter.

These are the authorized treatments for the olive fly.

For its control there are two cultural ways, by patching (a preventive treatment to get the olive to be chopped) or complete treatment (it affects the adult and the larvae).

COCHINEAL ( SAISSETIA OLEAE)

Also known as the soot mealybug , it is a homopteran of great importance in the olive tree. When there is humidity in the environment and after the rainy period, the scale can make an appearance. This pest produces a molasses as a result of the extraction of juices and sugars from the interior of the crop. Such molasses stimulates the development of bold  or  soot  ( Capnodium elaeophilum), a fungus that develops in the sheet.

Authorized treatments for the control of the mealybug .

Authorized treatments for the control of bold or soot.

OLIVE WORM OR EUZOPHERA ( EUZOPHERA PINGÜIS )

Euzophera pinguis  creates galleries inside the olive tree, feeding on the wood. It is a pest to watch especially in young plantations, looking for the first treatment when the first galleries in the wood are observed.

The adults are most active in the spring (especially in April). The female puts on the cracks in the wood or in the wounds caused in the pruning of the olive tree . The larvae are activated in May, excavating galleries towards the interior, until they manage to complete their biological cycle. .

This drill that feeds on wood, makes circular galleries in branches and even trunks of young trees, being able to “tape” them.

The larvae that have spent the winter in the wood, pupate and emerge in a staggered manner. Some of them have already evolved into butterflies that lay their eggs in wounds on the trunk and branches. Wounds that were produced with pruning, hail, frost, corrugated stakes etc., especially where there is a retention of sap.

Recommended and authorized treatments against Euzophera in olive trees .

OLIVE TREE DISEASES

SOAPY OLIVE COLLETOTRICHUM GLOESPOROIDES )

This disease begins in autumn , especially in rainy and humid seasons. This fungus usually attacks the fruit, at other times it can also attack the leaves or wood. Chlorotic spots form on the leaves, eventually turning brown, wilting and falling off.

Some recommendations and active ingredients authorized for the control of  Colletotrichum gloesporoides.

REPILO ( SPILOCAEA OLEAGINA)

It is one of the most important diseases of the olive tree. On the leaves (bundle) circular spots of color varying between yellow and green are formed. If the disease continues, the spots turn black, due to the formation of conidia. These spots are only located on the upper surface and never on the underside.

Recommended and authorized treatments for the control of the repilo in the olive tree.

To improve the nutrition of the olive tree, and thus avoid the susceptibility to attack by pests and diseases of the olive tree , it is good to make the optimal fertilizer of the olive tree , which you can find on our website.

Tuberculosis or Rust of the Olive Tree ( PSEUDOMONAS SAVASTANOI (SMITH))

It differs from other diseases, since olive scab is caused by a bacterium and not a fungus. The presence of this pathogen is common in humid areas, with frequent rains and shady areas.

It is necessary that there are previous wounds in the organs of the plant for there to be an infection. It usually appears in young branches, 2 to 3 years old, where tumors are formed that limit the circulation of sap. Due to this, these branches are unable to produce and dry up.

Treatment authorized for the control of olive scab .

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