Criteria and options to create the olive grove
VIVAI
PIETRO PACINI
Criteria and options to create the olive grove
Technical solutions to problems in the setting up of new olive groves
It's not easy to find a simple way to explain the criteria and the technical-agronomic options available to set up an olive grove.
It's a matter of finding technical solutions that aren't easy to implement, but are often able to definitively solve the various problems related to the particular conditions of each single olive grower when it comes to setting up a new olive grove.
Obviously, the olive grower will have to evaluate the dimensions of his company, the inclination of the fields, the possibility to mechanize the various cultivation activities, the availability of labor and/or the possibility to find professional workforce; he will also have to know the environmental factors of the area, in order to know how these could affect the choices of the agronomic activities to be applied to the olive grove.
Each cultivation operation depends on the picking system that will be used. According to the situation, the picking activity can be rational, both when it is traditional (hand picking) and when machines are used.
In this last case, since the time of intervention on the plant is constant, the yield of the machine will be affected by the cultivar characteristics (shape, stone fruit dimensions, type of trimming, etc.) and the amount of stone fruits present on the tree. When we opt for the mechanical picking, the main objective is to create efficient production units that are suitable for the machine operation; vice versa, in case of hand picking (with nets and ladders), it is preferable to maintain the productions at a lower height.
When choosing the growing form, the most important aspect to consider is the need to advance the start of production of the trees, by limiting the frequency of trimming of the little plants as much as possible. We are all aware that, in order to become fruitful, the olive tree doesn't need to be trimmed too much: as a matter of fact, when it grows in the right conditions, the olive tree is able to start producing soon and in abundance. Among the various growing forms available, the single cone, the pot and the bush seem to be the best ones, thanks to their structural and adaptation characteristics. These forms can express their best potential only in specific environment and agronomic conditions.
The distance of the olive grove is related to the intended economic duration of the olive grove, the level of mechanization, and the agronomic potential of the environment. However, it is obvious that, in order to facilitate the mechanical interventions, especially during picking, higher distances are required.
The demand of oils with specific organoleptic, nutritional and/or commercial characteristics has revealed the cultivar function as an element that strategically contributes to the qualification of olive productions.
The cultivar represents an important choice that has to be made starting from a broader evaluation. The most recent technical indications suggest that for new olive groves it is necessary to focus on cultivar that are suitable for the production of specific oils or fruits that meet the processing industry requirements (edible olives), by avoiding thinking in terms of opportunities, thereby limiting the diffusion of cultivars that have a double attitude, for obvious reasons.
It is therefore evident, that there cannot be one single technical solution that can solve all the complex problems related to the heterogeneous Italian olive-growing structure, and therefore, in order for us to maintain the privileged position that we have in the oil sector, we have to make challenging decisions and use technologies that are increasingly innovative. Only a complete overview of the technical knowledge available can better contribute to make this cultivation profitable and competitive, ready to cover the various cultivation, social, environmental and economical aspects that it involves.
