OLIVE
Introduction
and Importance:
Olive (Olea europea L) is one of the
oldest plant cultivated by man in the world.
The native home of the
olive is considered to be Asia minor, where from it spread to Europe
and North African countries.
The world area under this crop is 10
million hectares from which 853.1 thousand tones oil is produced
annually.
According to the latest statistically survey, about 98% of
olive trees are grown in the Mediterranean countries, Italy and
Spain alone accounting for 385 million trees.
The commercial and
wild olive plantation is found into belts
around the world between 30-45 o North and South
of equator. Since Pakistan is located in this region.
Therefore,
olive cultivation can be successfully undertaken in the
country, provided relevant inputs, incentives and technologies are
made available to the forming community.
Nutritive
value and composition:
Olive
is good source of edible oil and is also used for table purpose
particularly for pickles. The olive has not only nutritional and
medicinal value but its fat content is also free from cholesterol.
It is also used in food preservation, textile industry and cosmetic
preparation along with variety of other purposes. It contents six
type of acids with a dominating oleic acid content upto 74.5%.
Chemical composition of olive fruit, oil and fruit constituents are
given in table 1,2 and 3 respectively.
Table-1.
Chemical composition of different parts of fruit (%)
Fruit
Pulp
Stone
Seed
Water
45-55
50-60
10
30
Oil 13-28
15-30
0.7
17
N
Compound
1.5-2.0
2-4
3.3
10
C.Compund
18-40
3-7
79
29
Fibre
5-8
3-6
-
-
Ash
1-2
1-2
4.0
1.5
Undetermined
-
-
3.0
2.5
Table-2.
Composition of olive oil (Medium ripe olives)
Palmitic
acid 13.2%
Palmitoleic
acid
0.7%
Steric
acid 2.2%
Oleic
acid
74.5%
Linoleic
acid
9.2%
Linolenic
acid
Traces
Arachic
acid 0.1%
Unsaponif
1.2%
Hydrocarbon
500 mg%
Squalen 500
mg %
Sterols 100
mg%
Carotinoids 100
mg%
Tocopherol 62
ppm
Table-3.
Description of fruit constituent
Fruit
weight
1.5-10 g
Fruit
volume
1-10 ml
Skin
1.5-3.0 %
Pulp
70-85%
Stone
13.0-25.0%
Seed
2.0-4.0%
Potential
Area:
The commercial and wild plantation are found in two
belts around the world between 30-45 o North and South
of the equator. Since
Pakistan lies in between these belt, hence it is possible to grow
olive in the country .
The wild species of olive are found
abundantly in different parts of the country particularly in the
provinces of NWFP and Balochinstan which indicate that improved
varieties can also be grown successfully. Keeping in view the
importance of this crop, olive cultivation and improvement work has
been initiated at NARC.
The survey of
potential areas of Pakistan with suitable ecology for olive
cultivation indicates that olive can successfully be gown in tribal
area in NWFP, Swat, Dir, Malakand, Loralai, Khuzar and
Quetta with suitable management practices.
Oil Extraction
Plant was installed in Tarnab (Peshawar). in order to push
the crop on commercial lines. Improved varieties of olive imported
from Italy have been planted in Swat, Dir, Malakand, Loralai and at
NARC Islamabad.
In addition to Italian cultivars, four Turkish
olive cultivars were also introduced and planted at NARC for
evaluation studies during 1986. Some of these cultivar have shown
good performance and giving good yield in Baluchistan and at NARC
Islamabad for last 4-5 years.
Production
Techniques:
Climate:
The plant is generally grown in Mediterranean
region where summers are warm and dry with mild rainy winter. The
spring and autumn seasons are short. It also requires some chilling
period during winter for successful flowering and fruiting but the
winter temperature should not go below 0oC for long time.
It can also be grown commercially in sub-tropical zones at the
altitude of 2000-3000 ft from sea level but maximum temperature
during flowering and
fruit setting should not more than 28oC for getting good
crop.
Soil:
It can be grown in all type of soils provided
irrigation water is available but deep well drained sandy loam soil
with 5% clay and soil PH from 5.6 to 8.5 is preferred for olive
growing.
Propagation:
There are two methods of propagation
i) Sexual ii)
Asexual
i)
Sexual: Olive propagated by seed gives the great deformity of
progeny from parent tree. This technique is used only for genetic
improvement of the species and for the production of seedling to be
used as rootstock.
ii)
Asexual: This method include grafting, cutting and root suckers
and ovules for propagation.
a.
Grafting: This method is successfully and economically applied
for olive propagation particularly for those cultivars with self
rooting problem. One year old seedling with stem diameter of 6-8 cm
are suitable for grafting. Investigations have shown that high
percentage of grafting success can be obtained when plants
are grafted during February through pen grafting technique.
b.
Cutting: Olive can be successfully propagated from cuttings
under mist. The results of the experiments conducted at NARC reveal
that cuttings of 10-15 cm length of last year growth treated with
3000 ppm IBA and plant in sand culture under mist in greenhouse
(temperature ranging from 20-28oC with relative humidity
90%) give more than 70% rooting success.
Planting:
There are two seasons of olive plantation during the year i.e.
autumn and spring. The best period of the year is autumn (September
-October) if the area is free from frost. It is because the
development of the root system is easier and plants are in more
favourable conditions for vegetative growth during next spring. On
the other hand, if winter is severely cold, plantation should be
done in early spring before the beginning of new vegetative growth.
Field should be ploughed well and leveled properly and pits
measuring 2 x 2’ should
be dug before plantation. Pit should be filled with well rotten
F.Y.M mixed with surface soil and silt in the ratio of 1:1:1.
Generally olive is planted at 5 x 6 or 6 x 6 m from plant to plant
and row to row distance according to the
variety and
fertility of soil. After planting the tree, irrigate them
immediately.
Irrigation:
Although olive is drought resistant but cultivated varieties need to
be irrigated frequently depending upon the climatic conditions at
least for two years untill the trees become established. The
incidence of prolonged dry spell leads to the shriveling and drops
of fruit after fruit setting.
Under barani condition 400-500 mm average annual rainfall well
distributed, particularly during the critical period is considered
sufficient for cropping. Where rainfall is not secure, 2-3
irrigation’s at critical stage are very important for getting
economical crop. The first critical period starts during the
first bud differentiation and blooming , 2nd after fruit setting and
during the development of fruit growth.
Pollination: Although
olive flowers are hermaphrodite in nature but most of the cultivars
are self in compatible, only a few cultivars are self
pollinating i.e. Frantoio, Ascolana, Tenera but the
production is improved by cross pollination. When cultivars are
selected suitable pollinizer varieties should be planted at least
8-10% trees in the grove. Some of the scultivars alongwith their
suitable pollinizers are given below:
Cultivars
Pollinizers
Frantoio
Pendolino, Morchiaio
Lecciono
Pendolino, Morchiaio
Moraiolo
Pendolino, Morchiaio
Fertilizer:
Manuring and fertilization encourage the vegetative growth
and fruiting of the tree. Application of NPK depends upon the soil
condition, fertility of soil and age of the tree.
The olive tree
needs more nitrogenous fertilizer than phosphorous and potash.
Potash and phosphoric fertilizer should be incorporated in the soil
before planting of trees at the rate of 200 kg and 300 kg per
hectare respectively.
It should be mixed thoroughly with soil with
deep ploughing. Application of these fertilizers should be repeated
after every 3-4 years. The best time of nitrogen fertilizer is
before the flowering after fruit setting and at the
stone hardening. The schedule of nitrogen fertilizer is given
below:
Age
of tree
N dose/tree
Time of application
1
year
60-80 gm urea in 3 doses During
the growing season from April to July
2
year
200-250gm urea in two equal
Before growth start and in June
doses
3
year
300gm (200+100)
In the beginning of growth and in June
4
year
400mg urea (200+150) Before
the blooming and after fruit setting
5
year
500gm urea (300+200) Before
the blooming and after setting
With
the age and increasing the production of tree nitrogenous fertilizer
should be increased accordingly.
Pruning
and training: The main task of pruning is to modify the
vegetative growth and regulate its production efficiency. It should
also aim at lowering the bearing head, removal of non-bearing wood
and proper spacing of shoots. This is attained by thinning out and
light heading back of shoot. Olive bears fruit on one year old
branch and pruning is generally practiced after every two years.
Picking
and harvesting: Olive
are picked when the fruit has changed colour from deep green to a
straw or cherry red colour but before it turn . Generally olives,
are picked on the tree, off the ground and with mechanical device.
Diseases
and pests: The common diseases in olive plant are trunk decay,
sooty mould and peacock spot. The peacock spot is characterized by
zoned ring spots on the leaves which start in January in the lower
part of the tree and may result in complete defoliation. Spraying
the tree with 2% Bordeaux mixture can control the disease. The
bacterial knot appears in the form of numerous irregular tumors and
galls resembling canker. It is very contagious and can also be
controlled with Bordeaux mixture. The common olives pests are olive
fly, olive moth, twig cutters, Bark beetle, Woolly aphid and scale
etc. olive moth, twig, cutter, thrips and scales can be controlled
with malathion at 2 ml/l. Activities of olive fly starts during
August and cause severe damage to the fruit. Rogor at the rate of
1-2 ml/l is considered effective to save the fruit from damage of
olive fly. Wooly aphid suck the sap of tree and excrete the white
sticky secretion which results in stop of the plant growth. Dimecron/Karate
at 1-2 ml/1 lit of water can be used effectively against this
insect.
Pickling
of a green olive:
The
fruits are picked when light green or of straw colour and dipped in
1-2% solution of NaoH. This treatment is continued for 24-48 hours,
until the lye penetrate about 3/4 pit of fruit. The lye solution is
then removed and fruit, are washed thoroughly with water. During the
treatment light is avoided as it results in undesirable darkening of
the fruit. After washing, fruit is placed in 6-8% Nacl solution for
2-3 weeks. After that olive are placed in a container having acetic
acid.
Source: PARC
