
The recent detection of a new outbreak of Xylella fastidiosa (Subsp. fastidiosa) in Valencia de Alcántara, Spain, has prompted the Junta de Extremadura to activate the eradication program. In line with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Contingency Plan, authorities have designated infected and buffer zones, removed host and susceptible plants, and applied insecticide treatments to control insect vectors. This time, the bacterium has been found in five ecologically and forestally valuable plants in a wooded area. The infected plants include two rockroses (Cistus sp.), a common broom (Cystisus scoparius), a black broom (Cytisus villosus), and a Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas). Notably, no infections of Subsp. fastidiosa have been identified in olive and oak trees in Extremadura to date. The rapid response has been facilitated by the surveillance and prevention measures implemented after recent detections in Portugal.
