Olive peacock spot or olive scab

A very common and serious disease of olive in Greece, which causes weakening of olive trees and production decline due to the loss of foliage and therefore inadequate nutrition of trees. In cases of intense infection it can even eliminate production. Cause of the disease is the fungus Spilocaea oleagina. Infection by the fungus is favored by wet weather and medium temperatures, therefore it is more intense from spring to start of summer and in autumn. The disease is controlled mainly with the use of copper compounds.

Author/photos: Aris Chloridis