Repilo of the olive tree
Repilo is one of the most common and important fungal diseases in the olive grove. The main symptom of the disease is circular brown spots on the leaves, accompanied by defoliation, which weakens the crop and impairs production.
But first let's take a closer look at what the Repilo is.
The fungus that causes this disease is called Cycloconium oleaginum. The most frequent periods of infection of the disease are in spring and autumn, since the most favorable conditions for its spread are humidity and temperatures between 8 and 24 ºC.
The evolutionary cycle of the Repilo is divided into four phases:
Germination: the fungus germinates on the leaf in the presence of free water and temperatures around 20ºC.
Infection: the first infections coincide with the rainy season in late summer or early fall, when the disease initially develops.
Sporulation: conidia that will spread the disease appear on the outside of the leaves. This is the time when the typical spots will appear on the leaves.
Dissemination: conidia are mainly dispersed by rain, although they can also be carried by the wind. For this reason, the times of greatest spread of the disease take place in spring and autumn.
The fungus survives in unfavorable periods (summer and winter) on fallen leaves or on those that are kept on the tree, where it can remain dormant for several months.
Prevention is the best control method in the fight against repilo. In the months after harvest, selective pruning is essential to promote aeration.
In addition, in areas that favor the appearance of the disease (such as in mountainous areas, near rivers, areas prone to dew, etc.), applications with products based mainly on copper oxychloride or cuprous oxide are advisable.
In cases where the disease is already present, Adler Agro recommends accompanying phytosanitary treatments with Biactive.
Biactive is a biostimulant based on algae extract and microelements specially formulated to help overcome adverse situations such as periods with lack of water, attacks by pathogens, etc. In addition, it can be mixed with other phytosanitary products.