Mystery disease killing Italy's kiwi fruit trees baffles scientists

Government taskforce to study sickness devastating kiwi orchards across country

The leaves wither and face down as if to escape the sun; the roots darken and rot. Then the leaves fall: within 10 days, all of them are gone, leaving the fruit under the sun. Within one or two years, the plant dries up and dies. There is no cure.

In Italy, kiwi trees are dying en masse, and no one knows why. Last month, the Italian government announced a taskforce to study a mysterious sickness that is devastating kiwi orchards in the country, leaving scientists baffled. Damages to production are causing serious suffering to farms," the agriculture minister, Teresa Bellanova, said, calling the situation an emergency" and saying the country needs help from all the experts".