Variety traits

Olive abscission

Olea europaea L.

This trait is defined as the force required to detach the fruit from the pedicel and the intensity of natural fruit drop during the ripening period. These indicators are critical for determining harvest timing and the efficiency of mechanical harvesting methods.

In the reference 20 varieties crop Olive, where this is mentioned in the description.

Olive abscission is evaluated by the fruit detachment force (FDF), measured in kilograms or Newtons using dynamometers, and the rate of natural fruit drop beneath the tree. Varieties exhibit significant variability in FDF values, ranging, for example, from 0.35 kg for the Arbequina cultivar to 0.61 kg for the Hojiblanca cultivar, which determines the ease of fruit removal.

The trait is genetically determined and depends on the physiology of the fruit abscission zone, as well as external factors such as water stress and crop load. A low detachment force is preferable for mechanized harvesting with shakers; however, an excessive tendency for pre-harvest drop leads to unacceptable yield losses.

General information about the subject — on the page Shattering.

Sources6

Varieties of Olive mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.