The Balearic Institute for Agrarian and Fisheries Research and Training (IRFAP), part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, has acknowledged with great satisfaction the recognition given to Gaspar Coll Rigo, whose final-year project was selected as the best within the Agricultural and Rural Food Engineering programme at the University of the Balearic Islands.
The research, carried out entirely at IRFAP facilities, focuses on olive leaf spot (Venturia oleaginea), a fungal disease that significantly affects olive groves across Mallorca. The pathogen causes premature leaf drop and weakens the trees, leading to reduced yields. The findings reveal a high prevalence of the disease on the island, often in the form of latent infections that show no visible symptoms. The study also shows that copper-based treatments, commonly used by growers, have limited effectiveness, particularly under foggy or humid conditions.
The project further identifies notable differences between olive varieties: Arbequina is more susceptible than arboçana, an insight that may guide more targeted and resilient crop-management strategies. These conclusions represent an important step toward improving sustainable control measures in Mallorca’s olive sector.
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IRFAP Highlights Top Undergraduate Award for Research on Olive Leaf Spot in Mallorca
The research is part of a broader IRFAP initiative carried out in collaboration with Dr Antonio Trapero of the University of Córdoba, who highlights that continuous monitoring between 2023 and 2025 has made it possible to better understand the factors influencing olive health.
Supervisors Diego Olmo García and Jaume Jaume Sureda stressed the essential role played by several local olive estates and by the Mallorca Olive Oil Regulatory Council, which provided access to groves and valuable field data.
With this award, IRFAP reinforces its commitment to high-quality training, applied research and the strengthening of Mallorca’s olive-growing sector, a key pillar of the island’s rural landscape.