A mysterious disease is destroying the kiwifruit industry in Italy and the Italian government has set up a task force to investigate the disease, the Guardian reported. The pathogen starts to invade the roots of the kiwi vine, turning it black and rotting. Then the leaves wither and fall, exposing the fruit to the sun. After that, the kiwi vine withers and dies within two years.
It is understood that the disease broke out in 2012 near Verona, Italy, and was called "mor ì a", meaning "death disease" by growers. The pathogen invades the roots of the kiwifruit vine, turning it black and rotting, then the leaves wither and fall, exposing the fruit to the sun. After that, the kiwi vine withers and dies within two years. Reported that in some parts of Italy, the disease has affected up to 84% of kiwifruit vines.
Italy is the world's second largest producer of kiwifruit, with an annual output of 555,000 tonnes in 2019. Teresa Bellanova, Italy's agriculture minister, said the disease was an "emergency" for the country's industry.
So far, researchers have looked for causes of irrigation patterns, bacteria, fungi, soil composition and specific replanting diseases, but have found no clues. A genomics researcher at the Italian Council for agricultural research and economics told the media that the disease "can be compared to a new coronavirus: when symptoms appear, it's too late," he said. "It's very difficult for humans to get rid of the new coronavirus; I don't think it's possible for Kiwifruit vines either."