Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

It is a very virulent disease of fungal origin which does not give the affected trees the possibility of survival.

The mandatory fight against the colored canker of the plane tree, considering that it is currently the most serious disease present in the city area, is carried out in application of the provisions of the Ministerial Decree of 29 February 2012, n. 60166, Emergency measures for the prevention, control and eradication of plane tree canker caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata and by the technical standards issued by the Regional Phytosanitary Service.

In 2006, the presence of an insect of Asian origin was identified in the western area of ​​Milan, which is very harmful to some tree species and represents a serious problem in urban, forestry and agricultural areas.

The insect is absolutely devoid of danger for humans but, due to the powerful shredding apparatus of the adults and above all the prolonged action of the larvae, it damages many deciduous plants such as maples, horse chestnuts, birches, hazelnuts, beeches, plane trees etc.

The mandatory fight against Anoplophora chinensis, which has currently caused considerable damage in the territories of North America and has established itself in some municipalities north-west of Milan, is implemented according to the directives of the Decree of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies of 9 November 2007, Provisions on compulsory control against the Asian longhorned beetle Anoplophora chinensis (Thomson) integrated by the regional directives of Regional Decree of 27 April 2010, n. 4379, New regional measures for the control and eradication of Anoplophora chinensis in the Lombardy Region and by the technical standards issued by the Regional Phytosanitary Service.

The insect (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a small harmless butterfly in the adult stage which, in the larval stage, lives in large families within particular protective structures (nests) and is characterized by a high defoliant power on conifers (especially pines and cedars) and causes manifestations allergic due to the thick stinging hair.

The mandatory fight against the pine processionary moth must be carried out in application of the provisions of the Ministerial Decree of 17 April 1998, n. 356, Provisions on the mandatory fight against the pine processionary moth Traumatocampa pityocampa.

Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) affects numerous cultivated, tree and shrub rosaceae; it is so called due to the characteristic darkening of the shoots, flowers and leaves which seems to be caused by a blaze. Fire blight can occur on all aerial parts of the plant. The symptoms can emerge from the vegetative growth with wilting and blackening of the flower clusters and later, after fruit set, with the browning and subsequent drying of the small fruits.

Among plants of ornamental interest, the genera particularly damaged by bacteriosis attacks are genera belonging to the Rosaceae family (pear and apple trees, Chaenomeles, Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Cydonia, Pyracantha, Sorbus). For this reason the Ministerial Decree 27/3/1996, which establishes the obligation of the fight, requires the immediate uprooting and destruction of every visibly infected plant and, around it, every other host plant for a radius of ten metres.

The mandatory fight against fire blight is carried out in application of the provisions of the Ministerial Decree of 10 September 1999, n. 356, Regulation containing measures for the mandatory fight against fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), in the territory of the Republic.

The disease, caused by the presence of the Plum pox virus (PPV), affects the majority of stone fruit of agronomic interest: apricot (Prunus armeniaca), plum (Prunus domestica and Prunus salicina), peach (Prunus persica), almond (Prunus amygdalus) , myrobalan (Prunus cerasifera) and numerous ornamental prunoids.

In our region the disease was diagnosed for the first time in 1996, in the province of Mantua. Like all virosis, it is an incurable disease, the only means of fighting it is to eliminate the diseased plants so that they do not become a potential inoculum of infection for other plants.

The mandatory fight against the Sharka virus is carried out in application of the provisions of the Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of 26 November 1992, replaced by the next one Decree of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Resources of 29 November 1996, Mandatory control against the stone fruit pit virus (Sharka).

The cochineal (Comstockaspis perniciosa Comst) forms clearly visible encrustations on trunks and branches. The stings cause reddish changes on the trunks which can be highlighted by removing the bark. The significant encrustations on the branches cause decay and drying.

The mandatory fight against this phytophage is carried out in application of the provisions of the Ministerial Decree on Compulsory Fighting 17 April 1998.

The insect Dryocosmus kuriphilus (chestnut root gall wasp), originally from China and never found in Europe until now, is considered among the most harmful chestnut insects.
It causes the formation of galls on chestnut shoots and depresses vegetative development, causing a drastic reduction in production.

When the eggs hatch, the damage caused by the larvae is very evident: formation of galls, enlargements in various shapes and sizes, affecting the buds, leaves and catkins of the chestnut. In the most serious cases, the plants progressively deteriorate and die.

One of the most effective interventions consists in early pruning of the affected shoots in spring, before the females emerge, and in their destruction.

The mandatory fight against this insect is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Mandatory Ministerial Decree of 23 February 2006, Measures for the compulsory control against the chestnut wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Yasumatsu).