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 Southern regions of West Bank.

This activity aimed to examine closely, diagnose and monitor the status of the olives in the southern governorates (Bethlehem and hebron) 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

A group of olive experts from universities, research centers, Ministry of Agriculture, Palestine Olive Oil Council, Agriculture NGOs, olive companies, participated in a field day, and visited the olive groves in the main olive growing areas in the target provinces, in order to, visualize, observe, record, photograph, closely the sanitary status and general situation of the olive crop in Palestine.

The outcomes of these field days will be presented by PPPPS’ representative at the Fourth International Olive Conference organized by Palestine Technical University-Kadoori PTUK in cooperation with the Palestinian Plant Production and Protection Society, that will be held at PTUK from 19-21 November 2019.