Sunday, November 22, at 12:20 PM, on Rai 1, Linea Verde, the well-known television show hosted by Patrizio Roversi and Daniela Ferolla, will delve into the topic of olive trees and the dangers they face, particularly from Xylella.
Specific types of grafts of Leccino onto Ogliarola on centuries-old trees will be discussed, as well as the story of a young man from Puglia who wishes to return to his land to cultivate his family’s lands during this challenging time.
Olive trees have always been the lifeblood and ultimate symbol of Puglia, especially in the area known as Salento. Across the region, there are about 50 million olive trees, among which there are so-called “ancient” specimens.
Unfortunately, this magnificent resource, from which the real “gold” of Italian tables, the extra virgin olive oil, is extracted, has been attacked by a bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa, which affects olive trees without compromising the quality of the oil.
According to the European Food Safety Authority, it was identified in Puglia in 2013, marking the 1st case in Europe. According to this commission, in the plain of Lecce, a good 10% of these plants have been cut down.
This bacterium causes the detachment of the plants.
Unfortunately, a few months ago, the technicians of the EU committee decreed that the Puglian olive trees affected by Xylella fastidiosa had to be eradicated.
This conclusion was met with disbelief and astonishment by the farmers of Salento, who are convinced that their beautiful olive trees can be healed.
They have proposed various alternative solutions, such as looking for resistant varieties, using special grafts, and remaining united in the belief that eradication is not the ideal solution, but that research must continue.
A team of experts was formed last November 16 to coordinate research on the disease, and for this purpose, the Puglia region has allocated several million euros.
This team will work in coordination with the institute of the Ministry of Agricultural Policies, Maurizio Martina, who recently showed openness regarding the limit imposed for the replanting of these plants. For this purpose, the province of Lecce will become a real research field.
Among the many farmers of this magnificent and generous land is also Lucio Paiano, 35 years old, who, after spending some years in the north, decided to return to his land and embark on this journey as a cultivator.
Certainly not an easy choice, but one that only those with a deep and boundless love for their land can understand, a love that ties Puglia to its olive trees, generous children of a region that still has a lot to offer.
The appointment remains for Sunday, November 22, at 12:20 PM, on Rai 1, on the show Linea Verde alongside Patrizio Roversi and Daniela Ferolla
Written by Aurora De Donatis
