1,721,008 research outputs found
The fate of lateral buds in the olive (Olea europaea L. ssp. europaea var. europaea). A first report
No full textIn 2007 tests were carried out to determine the meristems which give rise to the different types of shoots and the basic factors affecting the evolution of the apical meristem and their lateral buds. The tests were conducted on potted plants in fertigation in two extremely different environmental conditions for light intensity (with shading to 50% and with addition of artificial light). In May, one-year-old self-rooted plants of cvs. Arbequina IRTA-i18, Koroneiki and Frantoio were introduced in fertigation and at the end of June were selected for uniformity of growth, distributed in the two zones and subjected to treatments: intact plants reared upright; plant topped at the first internode distinguishable with stem reared erect; plant cut at the base on the oldest wood. Four plants were used per treatment and cultivars distributed by blocks for each area. Similarly, fouryear-old ‘Coratina’ plants (three plants per treatment), raised on a single stem and acting on individual shoots (intact or topped) throughout the canopy, were utilized. The remarks focus on the origin of the shoots from thedifferent meristems and the growth and behavior of their lateral buds in the following season. Observations led to identification in the same bud complex of a vertical succession of two different types of buds: the “principal” bud and, in upper position, the “accessory” bud, the former with a reproductive role, the latter specialized in environmental exploitation (vegetative role). Starting from the primordia of an accessory bud, the apical meristem became “mature” growing in the time with important differences between the cultivars, acquiring only in the second year of growth for ‘Arbequina’ and ‘Koroneiki’ (early bearing cultivars) the capability to produce principal lateral buds able to develop in the inflorescences: with ‘Frantoio’ the “aging” of two years is not enough to move the principal buds to develop inflorescences. In the “mature” shoots the principal lateral buds can develop only as panicles, and the production of new bearing vegetation is limited to the central leader; all branches coming from accessory buds are dedicated to burst new vegetation.[...
Oleiculture in progress
No full textThe present work evaluates the limits and possibilities of development with regard to the most recent olive- growing techniques in light of up-to-date knowledge of species characteristics. After a brief introduction regarding the productive capacity of olive, the new taxonomic position of the cultivated species and a reorganization of the genus Olea is presented in the first part of the work. Examination follows of the assumed stages of domestication, spread (from the Bronze Age until decline in the 6-10th centuries A.D.) and then globalization of the species from the 19th century until the present. The second part addresses the spread of olive to the different continents, environmental limitations to its cultiva- tion and the growth model that distinguishes it from most of the other cultivated woody species. The various problems that arise when olive is cultivated outside its areal of origin are considered, from induction processes to effective chilling requirements, as well as the effects of climatic environment on plant growth and product quality following shifts in areal. The paper concludes with a brief analysis of open questions relative to new models of cultivation.[...
Mechanical harvesting, productivity and superintensive planting systems in olive groves
No full textDifferent harvest machines can be applied in different agronomic situations and groves, and it is essential to identify suitable parameters to compare the results.To assess the operational capability of the yard productivity the used parameter is the harvesting yard productivity (HYP) expressed as kg man-1 hour-1, but it provides little information about yard/plant relationship or about the agronomic tool able to improve the suitability of the use. Two different indexes are suggested, the harvest speed (SCH) as m3 of vegetation “harvested” in a definite interval of time, and the production efficiency of canopy (CPE), as kg m-3 of vegetation.With them the linkage between the results with “traditional”, “intensive” and “superintensive” training systems became more clear and some considerations on the needs to improve the productivity of olive groves are made.[...
Origine del prodotto di qualità. Dalla pianta al frutto
No full textIl testo che presentiamo è nato dalla necessità di disporre di uno strumento didattico agile semplice e conciso, ma scientificamente rigoroso e aggiornato, per lo studio a livello universitario della qualità nutrizionale e delle proprietà salutistiche dell’olio vergine d’oliva, attraverso l’esame critico dei principali elementi della filiera olivicolo-olearia e delle caratteristiche molecolari, chimico-analitiche e sensoriali del prodotto di qualità.Il percorso di base per la definizione della qualità nutrizionale potrebbe essere utilizzato anche per corsi pre- e para-universitari, indirizzati alla conoscenza delle caratteristiche sensoriali, gastronomiche, dietetiche e salutistiche dell’olio d’oliva, oggetto di crescente interesse culturale e di approfondita attenzione per la salute e la prevenzione delle malattie.Infatti anche l’olio, come il vino, sta vivendo una stagione di fioritura culturale, accompagnata da profonde modificazioni qualitative e quantitative della filiera di produzione e del mercato. Per entrambi i prodotti, di antica tradizione mediterranea, lo sviluppo culturale e materiale è stato innescato dalla scoperta o dalla rivalutazione delle caratteristiche gastronomiche e delle proprietà salutistiche. Mentre per il vino la scoperta del “paradosso francese” ha segnato una brusca svolta, che dalla proscrizione socio-sanitaria lo ha condotto al fronte della ricerca nutrizionistica e della prevenzione medica, il percorso culturale dell’olio è stato più lungo, più lento ed altalenante, ma ininterrotto da oltre mezzo secolo.A rallentare e contrastare la cultura dell’olio e la diffusione del prodotto di qualità concorrono diversi fattori. Anzitutto la promozione di mercato, pur riconoscendone ed anzi declamandone i benefici salutistici, si è finora affidata sopratutto all’illustrazione dei requisiti di genuinità (che dovrebbero essere garantiti per legge), delle qualità gastronomiche e sensoriali, delle caratteristiche di origine tipicità e tradizione. Generalmente non vengono indicate o evidenziate, invece, componenti e caratteristiche fondamentali per la nutrizione e la salute (valori nutrizionali, acidi grassi, vitamine, polifenoli). Talvolta il messaggio promozionale suggerisce, implicitamente o esplicitamente, di usare l’olio d’oliva solo per condire a freddo: messaggio non favorevole per il produttore di solo olio extravergine di qualità; ma sopratutto pericoloso e fuorviante per il consumatore, che viene orientato ad utilizzare, per cucinare, olii raffinati, olii di semi e/o grassi animali.Si aggiunga una legislazione opaca : che mantiene la denominazione di “olio d’oliva” per l’olio lampante rettificato e addizionato di olio vergine; che non prescrive di indicare in etichetta i risultati delle analisi chimiche e sensoriali, che qualificano l’extravergine; né i dati che informano sulla “freschezza” del prodotto (data di produzione e/o di confezionamento, contenuto di composti fenolici), di fondamentale importanza per la qualità organolettica, nutrizionale e salutistica dell’olio. Inoltre, sopratutto in Italia, disciplinari DOP spesso rigidi e talvolta incongrui -da un lato-, dispersione della produzione in miriadi di piccolissime aziende -dall’altro lato-, impediscono o fortemente rallentano la modernizzazione degli oliveti, l’abbattimento dei costi di produzione attraverso la meccanizzazione, l’accesso a rapide e moderne procedure di trasformazione. Col deprecabile risultato di mancare l’incontro col mercato, che richiede consistenti quote di prodotto di elevata ed omogenea qualità.Situazione tanto più deprecabile, se si considera che sopratutto nell’ultimo decennio la domanda internazionale di olio d’oliva di elevata qualità è notevolmente aumentata, trainata dalla diffusione della dieta mediterranea e dall[...
Ricerca e razionalizzazione delle tecniche agronomiche. Pratiche colturali nella nuova olivicoltura
No full text
A new device to improve the mechanical winter pruning in olive trees hedgerows.
No full textThe economic success of superintensive olive plantations is mainly due to the full mechanization of the harvesting and pruning. While the advantage of straddling machines is undoubted, winter mechanical pruning determines falls in productions. This is due to the indiscriminate suppression of both fertile leafy shoots destined to fruiting and growth, and exhausted parts of the plant. To reduce this damage, an innovative device has been developed, applied to a pruning machine, able to selectively cut the “aged” parts of vegetation. The selection is achieved by an air’s fluid dynamic action obtained throughout defined and directional air jets able to push the young and flexible shoots upwards and downwards; in this way they are saved by the cut, regenerating at least one year in advance the new fruiting hedge. Tests were carried out on the cultivar Arbequina, Tosca and Sikitita, in three superintensive olive
groves located in the province of Grosseto, Rome and Latina, assessing the amount of leaves, shoots and branches, as well as fruits present at harvest, preserved from the pruning thanks to the action of the air flow, respectively for the East and West side of the rows. To get a profile of the biomass distribution along the cross section of the tree canopy, in the Grosseto farm a trial was also
carried out to better assess leaves, shoots and branches distribution in the canopy. The statistical data analyses immediately evidenced two different populations due to the selective pruning. The work highlighted the remarkable effectiveness of the air jet in safeguarding the flexible and leafy vegetation and allowed to quadruple leaf surface and production
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