Verticillium Wilt Pathogenesis in Olive Cultivars

Verticillium wilting of olive is caused by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae, which survives in the form of resistant microsclerotia. Upon germination, the pathogen penetrates olive roots and colonises the xylem vessels, where it proliferates and obstructs water and nutrient transport. Symptom development ranges from leaf chlorosis and defoliation to branch dieback and eventual tree death. Cultivar susceptibility varies widely and is governed by genetic, biochemical and anatomical traits, including the composition of secondary metabolites and the ability to occlude xylem vessels. Environmental factors such as soil temperature and moisture further influence disease progression. With no fully effective chemical treatments available, integrated disease management emphasises the use of resistant cultivars, cultural practices to reduce inoculum levels and predictive tools to inform orchard management. Understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying host resistance and pathogen virulence remains central to mitigating this globally significant threat to olive cultivation.

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Verticillium Wilt Pathogenesis in Olive Cultivars publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in verticillium wilt pathogenesis in olive cultivars across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Microsclerotia: Hardened fungal survival structures that persist in soil and initiate infection upon favourable conditions.

Xylem: The plant vascular tissue responsible for water and mineral transport from roots to aerial organs.

Cultivar: A cultivated plant variety selected for specific traits, such as disease resistance or fruit quality.

Metabolic marker: A small molecule whose presence or abundance correlates with a particular biological state, such as pathogen resistance.

Fuzzy logic model: A computational approach that handles uncertain or imprecise inputs to generate rule-based risk predictions.

References

1. Characterization of the Metabolic Profile of Olive Tissues (Roots, Stems and Leaves): Relationship with Cultivars’ Resistance/Susceptibility to the Soil Fungus Verticillium dahliae. Antioxidants (2023).
2. Efficiency of breeding olives for resistance to Verticillium wilt. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
3. Predicting the Risk of Verticillium Wilt in Olive Orchards Using Fuzzy Logic. Agriculture (2023).
4. Verticillium Wilt of Olive and Its Control: What Did We Learn during the Last Decade?. Plants (2020).
5. Verticillium wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae in woody plants with emphasis on olive and shade trees. European Journal of Plant Pathology (2017).
6. The xylem as battleground for plant hosts and vascular wilt pathogens. Frontiers in Plant Science (2013).
7. Soil Temperature Determines the Reaction of Olive Cultivars to Verticillium dahliae Pathotypes. PLOS ONE (2014).
8. Starch Hydrolysis and Vessel Occlusion Related to Wilt Symptoms in Olive Stems of Susceptible Cultivars Infected by Verticillium dahliae. Frontiers in Plant Science (2018).