Yet another plant pathogen is increasing its range. Xylella fastidiosa threatens both commercial growers and gardeners who value ornamental shrubs. There is even a threat to Britain's iconic oaks and plane trees. The government has therefore banned the import of olive trees and lavender bushes, the main hosts of the bacterium.
BBC further reports:
Spread by spittle-bugs and other sap-sucking insects, the resulting disease has no treatment and it is said to have cut Italy's olive harvest to its lowest level in 25 years.
It seems to me that this is yet another manifestation of global warming, in that winter frosts are less frequent or severe than even a decade ago. Consequently both the bacterium and the insects carrying it are able to over-winter further north than hitherto.
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