As reported by Olimerca, the «Visual guide to symptoms of Xylella fastidiosa in forest species of the Balearic Islands» is the title of a new publication edited by the Forest Health Service of the Ministry of the Environment and Territory of the Balearic government, whose objective is to make the symptoms of this plague available to the public, so that they can recognize it if it appears in forest species.
Thus, and to enhance participation when it comes to detecting affected forest species, the guide offers, in the form of 14 visual cards, the necessary tools to be able to know the effects that the bacteria causes on plants, since it is from the observation in the species, and not in the directly associated symptoms, as the bacteria can be better detected.
The general director of Natural Spaces and Biodiversity, Lorenzo Mas, recalled that, currently, to deal with Xylella «prevention is the best method». But he recalled that from the Ministry «the tasks of prospecting and sampling the bacteria have been intensified, a task that would be much more difficult without citizen collaboration.» For this reason, he has invited owners and individuals to acquire a guide and participate in the detection.
The guide therefore includes fourteen files, corresponding to the 14 forest species where the bacterium has been detected – of the 25 in the Balearic Islands, between agricultural, ornamental and forest areas. They specify the specific species, its habitat and the symptoms observed in each case.
In order to access the document, it can be done through the website sanitatforestal.caib.es, where it can be downloaded in digital format, while if you want a paper copy, you must request it through the email sanitatforestal@caib.es