Table olive yield and quality in super-high-density hedgerows: a long-term study

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Horticulture
• Agronomy

Background:

• Super-high-density (SHD) olive cultivation is expanding globally for oil production, with recent interest in table olive expansion.
• Labor shortages necessitate efficient harvesting methods, driving interest in mechanized harvesting for table olives.
• Traditional cultivars are being evaluated for their suitability in SHD systems for table olive production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a long-term evaluation of olive production and fruit quality in SHD hedgerows.
• To compare the performance of 'Manzanilla de Sevilla' and 'Manzanilla Cacereña' cultivars in SHD systems.
• To assess mechanical harvesting efficiency and growing habits in SHD olive hedgerows.

Main Methods:

• Nine-year monitoring (2012-2020) of irrigated SHD hedgerows (3.75m x 1.35m) under Mediterranean conditions.
• Analysis of olive yield, fruit quality, mechanical harvesting efficiency, and hedgerow dimensions for 'Manzanilla de Sevilla' and 'Manzanilla Cacereña'.
• Three-year study of growing habits, compared with 'Arbequina' cultivar hedgerows.

Main Results:

• Both 'Manzanilla de Sevilla' and 'Manzanilla Cacereña' formed vigorous, continuous hedgerows, outperforming 'Arbequina'.
• 'Manzanilla Cacereña' demonstrated higher productivity (15 t ha⁻¹ mean, 136 t ha⁻¹ cumulative) and efficiency than 'Manzanilla de Sevilla' (10 t ha⁻¹ mean, 89 t ha⁻¹ cumulative).
• Fruit removal efficiency exceeded 96% for both cultivars; 'Manzanilla Cacereña' maintained better physical integrity post-harvest, while 'Manzanilla de Sevilla' had larger fruit susceptible to damage.

Conclusions:

• 'Manzanilla Cacereña' is a highly productive and efficient cultivar for SHD table olive production, showing resilience to mechanical harvesting.
• 'Manzanilla de Sevilla' yields well but requires careful handling due to mechanical damage susceptibility.
• SHD hedgerow systems are viable for traditional table olive cultivars, with cultivar selection crucial for optimizing yield and quality.