Verticillium Wilt of Olive and Its Control: What Did We Learn during the Last Decade?

© 2020 by the authors.Verticillium (Verticillium dahliae Kleb.) wilt is one of the most devastating diseases affecting olive (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. europaea) cultivation. Its effective control strongly relies on integrated management strategies. Olive cultivation systems are experiencing important changes (e.g., high-density orchards, etc.) aiming at improving productivity. The impact of these changes on soil biology and the incidence/severity of olive pests and diseases has not yet been sufficiently evaluated. A comprehensive understanding of the biology of the pathogen and its populations, the epidemiological factors contributing to exacerbating the disease, the underlying mechanisms of tolerance/resistance, and the involvement of the olive-associated microbiota in the tree’s health is needed. This knowledge will be instrumental to developing more effective control measures to confront the disease in regions where the pathogen is present, or to exclude it from V. dahliae-free areas. This review compiles the most recent advances achieved to understand the olive–V. dahliae interaction as well as measures to control the disease. Aspects such as the molecular basis of the host–pathogen interaction, the identification of new biocontrol agents, the implementation of “-omics” approaches to unravel the basis of disease tolerance, and the utilization of remote sensing technology for the early detection of pathogen attacks are highlighted.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad/Agencia Estatal de Investigación, grant number AGL2016-75729-C2-1-R, and Junta de Andalucía (Consejería de Economía, Innovación y Ciencia), grant number P12-AGR-0667, both co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).Peer reviewe