Gianluigi Bacchetta And S'Ozzastru: The Oldest Olive Tree 0 Comments

Gianluigi Bacchetta, professor of the Life and Environmental Sciences of Cagliari University department, was among the winners of the Navicella Sardegna 2024 Award, the recognition that is annually assigned to personalities who have brought national and international level prestige to Sardinia.

The reasons why Gianluigi Bacchetta received the award are:

• Most productive researcher in Sardinia with over 700 published scientific works;
• In 2015 was Youngest ordinary in Italy in the botanical sector;
• In 2023 was second in the world ranking of conservation biologists;
• Since 2018 has been included in the Top Italian Scientists;
• Major Experimenter of over 50 national and international projects;
• Author of the description of 55 new plant species for science;
• Founding Member of Sardinia Germplasm Bank, University of Cagliari.

According to prof. Gianluigi Bacchetta studies, today there are several hundred seed banks in the world, Seed Magazine reports 1,400 gene banks, many of a commercial nature, others with non-profit purposes.

An episode aroused the interest of the press on the biologist's work. When at the end of July 2021 the fire that had destroyed the Oristano area with a gigantic combustion that in four days destroyed over 20 thousand hectares of forests, fields, pastures and industrial activities in central western Sardinia, the symbol of that devastation became S'Ozzastru: The Oldest Olive Tree of Tanca Manna near Cuglieri.

The Cagliaritan botanist had found that there was activity in the stump "The signs were all there and for this reason we kept the portion of the stump constantly humid which proved to be the only one capable of reproducing sprouts". And the plant confirmed that, with help, it still has the ability to live. It will take centuries to return to being the majestic tree it was, but over time the shoots will become branches.

With the reviving effort of the plant, the "DNA" of Ogliastru was also preserved. "As the Germplasm Bank of Sardinia we continue to cultivate the seeds of the thousand-year-old olive tree because they can be useful, and as the Botanical Garden - based on the agreement with the Municipality of Cuglieri and in agreement with the Montiferru association - we continue in monitoring and protection activities of the Patriarch in the hope that it can become an example of resilience also for a community which, a year later, is still suffering from the harmful effects of the fire that occurred and is still waiting for help from the regional government which have not yet been paid".

“I have leaned my head on the tree trunks, on the stones, on the rocks a thousand times to listen to the voice of the leaves...” (Grazia Deledda)

Written by Daniela Toti