Verticillium dahliae, the causal agent of vascular wilt, is a cosmopolitan pathogen of olive (Olea europaea L.). Italy is a traditional oil-producing country and its olive growing system is characterized by hundreds of regional varieties. They are widely employed for yielding oils protected by geographical indication systems of the European Union. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of V. dahliae on the vegetative growth of young, own-rooted olive plants under natural environmental conditions. Specifically, we analyzed differences in stem elongation, number of leaves and stem diameters in eight local varieties of the Campania region of Italy, plus a reference national cultivar, following artificially infection with a non-defoliating pathotype. Multivariate analysis indicated that a distinction in vulnerability among cultivar can be made considering the inhibitory effect of the fungus on stem extension growth, while the other parameters are less influential. Our work also illustrated the variability in some vegetative parameters among the Campanian germplasm and its influence on the inhibitory effect of the pathogen. Further studies will have to analyze the mechanisms connecting the morpho-physiological alterations with the pathogen invasion of the host tissue.

大丽黄萎病（Verticillium dahliae）是引起维管束枯萎病的病原体，是橄榄树（Olea europaea L.）的一种普遍病原体。意大利是传统的产油国，其橄榄种植系统的特点是有数百个地区品种。它们被广泛用于生产受欧盟地理标志体系保护的油。本研究的目的是评估自然环境条件下大丽花对幼年自根橄榄植物营养生长的影响。具体来说，我们分析了意大利坎帕尼亚地区的八个当地品种以及一个参考国家品种在人工感染非落叶病型后茎伸长、叶子数量和茎直径的差异。多变量分析表明，品种之间的脆弱性可以根据真菌对茎伸长生长的抑制作用来区分，而其他参数影响较小。我们的工作还说明了坎帕尼亚种质中一些营养参数的变异性及其对病原体抑制作用的影响。进一步的研究必须分析形态生理变化与病原体入侵宿主组织之间的机制。