AGRICULTURE: PESTS AND COUNTER-TECHNOLOGIES — OLIVES, XYLELLA: DRONES AND SATELLITES IN ACTION IN PUGLIA

Tomorrow in Brindisi, the official presentation of the Fyxill research project results will take place. This project, funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and developed by the Aerospace Technological District (DTA) in close collaboration with Unaprol (Italian Olive Growers Consortium) and Planetek, utilizes cutting-edge technology to combat the devastating Xylella fastidiosa bacterium.

Images acquired by satellites and remotely piloted aerial systems equipped with hyperspectral and thermal sensors will be processed to better monitor the measures adopted to control this harmful Gram-negative bacterium (from the Gammaproteobacteria class) that lives and reproduces within the raw sap-conducting system of plants.

Fyxill Project: Fighting Xylella fastidiosa

On Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 10:30 AM, a demonstration day for the Fyxill Fight XYLelLa fastidiosa project will be held at Masseria Mozzone in Montalbano (Fasano, Brindisi province). The event, organized by the DTA, Unaprol, and Planetek, will showcase various available remote sensing technologies, including satellites, drones, and ground-based sensors. This initiative represents a significant effort to implement remote sensing technologies in agriculture and analyze the opportunities and future trends presented by innovation in the sector.

The presentation will include case studies and concrete applications of remote sensing technologies in the primary sector, such as water resource management, plant health monitoring, yield forecasting, and disease and pest management.

All-Out War Against the Killer Bacterium

This is an all-fronts war to halt the spread of the killer bacterium. The Plain of Monumental Olive Trees has already lost a third of its invaluable, historically preserved plants. Coldiretti Puglia, based on a study by the prestigious American journal "Pnas" (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America), concludes that if not stopped, the spread of Xylella fastidiosa could cause a negative economic impact in Italy (and Europe) of up to twenty billion euros.

How do you think these advanced monitoring technologies could be applied to other agricultural challenges worldwide?