The Academy and the Palestinian Plant Production and Protection Society (PPPPS), in cooperation with the National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) at the Ministry of Agriculture, Olive Oil Council and  Agriculture Institutions NGOs, with sponsorship of  Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Jerusalem (FNF), organized a field day to check the health status of the olive crop in the Northern regions of West Bank.

This activity aimed to examine closely, diagnose and monitor the status of the olives in the northern governorates (Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm, Salfit) in terms of the following aspects:

• Prevalence of peacock eye disease
• Geographical distribution of peacock eye infection
• The severity of peacock eye disease
• The extent of leaves falling from the trees
• Productivity of trees for this season and previous seasons
• The extent of infection on the physiological status of trees
• The extent to which the trees regain their vitality and recover their growth after last winter
• Procedures and methods of control carried out by farmers and their effectiveness
• Efforts and support provided by any party to solve the problem
• The presence and spread of any other diseases and / or pests
• Any other problems and challenges
   

The team conducted a field tour of the olive fields in the targeted governorates and focus on areas where there is a clear and severe infection of the peacock eye disease. The team took a specific route that passes through all the targeted governorates and olive growing areas, especially areas known as peacock infected areas. 

The output of the field day was documented and will be submitted as recommendations and suggestions to the stakeholders and decision-makers at the Fourth International Olive Conference organized by Palestine Technical University-Khadouri PTUK in cooperation with the Palestinian Plant Production and Protection Society, that will be held at  PTUK from 19-21 November 2019.