Ogliarola salentina is not just a cultivar—it is a living emblem of Salento’s olive heritage. Recent agricultural research in Apulia is shedding new light on how practitioners, scientists, and brands like Olio Sprezzatura can work together to protect Ogliarola salentina groves, even where infection by Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca is present. Through integrated mitigation strategies, it is now possible not only to preserve productivity but to sustain the character and legacy of this distinguished olive variety.
NuovOlivo Protocol: Coexistence over Eradication
A study conducted over several olive-growing seasons (2019-2023) in Salento surveyed orchards—including many planted with Ogliarola salentina—that were affected by the disease, with symptom severity ranging from 40-80%. Under the NuovOlivo protocol, regular canopy treatments (every two weeks from April to September) with products such as Kopper® and a silver-nitrate formulation, along with phenolic compounds, nutritional care, and good agronomy, significantly reduced disease symptoms and improved fruit (drupe) and oil yields.
Dentamet® Biocomplex and Bio-fertilizer Treatments
Dentamet®—a patented bio-fertilizer based on zinc, copper, and citric acid—has been sprayed on olive crowns in Salento since 2016. In experimental fields (including Ogliarola salentina), treatments once per month from spring through early autumn showed systemic activity in the trees, reduced symptom severity, and lowered bacterial concentration in leaves. Satellite (EO) monitoring (2015-2020) detected higher vegetation indices (NDVI, OSAVI, etc.) in treated compared to untreated groves after two years, and after three years, yield levels approached those of pre-disease periods.
Endo-therapy / Precise Trunk Injection
Some very promising results come from precision intravascular injection of Dentamet®, using novel low-pressure endo-therapy systems. These methods target the vascular system directly and are more efficient in delivering actives into the xylem than foliar sprays alone. In Ogliarola salentina trees, metabolic profiling before and after endo-therapy shows shifts consistent with recovery and improved physiological function.
Metabolomic & Lipidomic Markers
Comparative studies between Ogliarola salentina (more susceptible) and more tolerant/resistant cultivars (e.g. Leccino) have revealed molecular biomarkers that correlate with disease status and treatment effects. In treated Ogliarola trees, elevated levels of certain osmolytes (e.g. mannitol), changes in lipid profiles (oxylipins, free fatty acids), and lower expression of stress/degeneration markers were observed. These markers may help in assessing health early and tailoring interventions.
Ogliarola salentina is not just a cultivar—it is a living emblem of Salento’s olive heritage. Recent agricultural research in Apulia is shedding new light on how practitioners, scientists, and brands like Olio Sprezzatura can work together to protect Ogliarola salentina groves, even where infection by Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca is present. Through integrated mitigation strategies, it is now possible not only to preserve productivity but to sustain the character and legacy of this distinguished olive variety.
NuovOlivo Protocol: Coexistence over Eradication
A study conducted over several olive-growing seasons (2019-2023) in Salento surveyed orchards—including many planted with Ogliarola salentina—that were affected by the disease, with symptom severity ranging from 40-80%. Under the NuovOlivo protocol, regular canopy treatments (every two weeks from April to September) with products such as Kopper® and a silver-nitrate formulation, along with phenolic compounds, nutritional care, and good agronomy, significantly reduced disease symptoms and improved fruit (drupe) and oil yields.
Dentamet® Biocomplex and Bio-fertilizer Treatments
Dentamet®—a patented bio-fertilizer based on zinc, copper, and citric acid—has been sprayed on olive crowns in Salento since 2016. In experimental fields (including Ogliarola salentina), treatments once per month from spring through early autumn showed systemic activity in the trees, reduced symptom severity, and lowered bacterial concentration in leaves. Satellite (EO) monitoring (2015-2020) detected higher vegetation indices (NDVI, OSAVI, etc.) in treated compared to untreated groves after two years, and after three years, yield levels approached those of pre-disease periods.
Endo-therapy / Precise Trunk Injection
Some very promising results come from precision intravascular injection of Dentamet®, using novel low-pressure endo-therapy systems. These methods target the vascular system directly and are more efficient in delivering actives into the xylem than foliar sprays alone. In Ogliarola salentina trees, metabolic profiling before and after endo-therapy shows shifts consistent with recovery and improved physiological function.
Metabolomic & Lipidomic Markers
Comparative studies between Ogliarola salentina (more susceptible) and more tolerant/resistant cultivars (e.g. Leccino) have revealed molecular biomarkers that correlate with disease status and treatment effects. In treated Ogliarola trees, elevated levels of certain osmolytes (e.g. mannitol), changes in lipid profiles (oxylipins, free fatty acids), and lower expression of stress/degeneration markers were observed. These markers may help in assessing health early and tailoring interventions.
