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Horticulturae
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Advances in Genetics, Breeding, and Quality Improvement of Olive
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Advances in Genetics, Breeding, and Quality Improvement of Olive

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Genetics, Genomics, Breeding, and Biotechnology (G2B2)".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2025 | Viewed by 2758

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tatjana Klepo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Marine Studies, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
Interests: olive diversity; fruit breeding; fruit wild relatives; plant genetic resources conservation
Prof. Dr. Zlatko Šatović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska Cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: molecular diversity analysis; phylogenetics; plant genetic resources conservation; molecular plant breeding

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The olive is one of the oldest and most valuable fruit crops in the world. The challenges in olive cultivation posed by climate change, new cultivation systems, and abiotic and biotic stress have urged us to find new sources of variability. New insights into the genetic resources of species is an important first step towards their evaluation, conservation, and sustainable utilization. In this sense, the Special Issue titled "Advances in Genetics, Breeding, and Quality Improvement of Olive" aims to present the latest research and advances in the field of olive genomics and breeding.

The Special Issue aims to showcase innovative studies exploring the genetic diversity of olives (including olive wild relatives; advances in breeding techniques; and new approaches to improving the quality of the olive trees, fruit, and oil). Contributions may include, but are not limited to, research on conservation and breeding strategies, genome sequencing, phenotypic trait mapping, molecular marker development, cross-breeding outcomes, improved pest and disease resistance, and the impact of genetic improvements on the sensory properties and nutritional value of olives and olive oil.

Dr. Tatjana Klepo
Prof. Dr. Zlatko Šatović
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Olea europaea L.
  • wild olive
  • olive diversity
  • domestication
  • genotyping
  • phenotyping
  • morphometry
  • quality traits
  • QTLs
  • prospecting studies
  • in situ evaluation
  • gene banks
  • breeding techniques
  • resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses
  • fruit quality improvement

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1449 KiB  
Article
The Induction of Resistance Against Verticillium Wilt of Olive by Previous Inoculation with a Low-Virulence Isolate of the Pathogen
by Consuelo Martos-Moreno, Antonio Santos-Rufo, María del Carmen Raya-Ortega, Francisco Javier López-Escudero and Miguel Angel Blanco-López
Horticulturae 2025, 11(4), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11040420 - 15 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Verticillium wilt of olive, caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb., is a serious disease with no highly effective control methods currently available. Consequently, biological control strategies are being explored as viable and environmentally friendly alternatives. A natural recovery phenomenon has been observed in certain [...] Read more.
Verticillium wilt of olive, caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb., is a serious disease with no highly effective control methods currently available. Consequently, biological control strategies are being explored as viable and environmentally friendly alternatives. A natural recovery phenomenon has been observed in certain olive varieties following infection by low-virulence isolates of the pathogen, likely due to plant resistance mechanisms that may enhance defense against more virulent isolates. Based on these findings, a study was conducted to determine whether plants that had recovered from infection by a low-virulence isolate could exhibit increased resistance to highly virulent isolates. ‘Picual’ plants were first inoculated with a non-defoliating isolate, followed by inoculation with a defoliating isolate at different time intervals. The results demonstrate that prior infection with a non-defoliating isolate reduced disease severity caused by a defoliating isolate, particularly in susceptible cultivars like ‘Picual’. Treated plants exhibited slower disease progression and no mortality, whereas untreated plants developed severe symptoms and showed high mortality rates. A minimum interval of four months between inoculations with isolates of different virulence was crucial for achieving a significant reduction in disease severity. While this methodology has proven effective, further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and identify additional biocontrol agents to enhance disease management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Genetics, Breeding, and Quality Improvement of Olive)
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16 pages, 2762 KiB  
Article
Global and Specific NIR Models for Oxidative Stability Prediction and Cultivar Discrimination in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
by Hande Yılmaz-Düzyaman, Raúl de la Rosa, Nieves Núñez-Sánchez and Lorenzo León
Horticulturae 2025, 11(2), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11020177 - 6 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 967
Abstract
The Oxidative Stability Index (OSI) is crucial for evaluating the commercial, nutritional, and sensory properties of extra virgin olive oils (EVOO). Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) offers a rapid and cost-effective alternative to evaluate OSI with respect to traditional methods like Rancimat. This study aimed [...] Read more.
The Oxidative Stability Index (OSI) is crucial for evaluating the commercial, nutritional, and sensory properties of extra virgin olive oils (EVOO). Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) offers a rapid and cost-effective alternative to evaluate OSI with respect to traditional methods like Rancimat. This study aimed to develop a robust global NIRS model for predicting OSI in EVOO and compare it with specific models for key Spanish cultivars such as ‘Picual’, ‘Arbequina’, and ‘Sikitita’ (a new, recently released cultivar for commercial hedgerow planting systems). Using NIRS spectra from 1100 to 2500 nm, we analyzed 939 samples globally and developed cultivar-specific models based on 59 ‘Picual’, 84 ‘Arbequina’, and 48 ‘Sikitita’ samples. Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression models demonstrated promising results in all sample sets tested, with the global model outperforming individual yearly models, highlighting the importance of incorporating variability to enhance predictive performance. Log-transformed OSI data improved accuracy across all models. Additionally, discriminant analysis (LDA) was performed on NIRS spectra from five cultivars (‘Arbequina,’ ‘Picual,’ ‘Koroneiki,’ ‘Sikitita,’ and ‘Arbosana’), a total of 254 samples, achieving 96% accuracy in differentiating monovarietal EVOO samples. These findings demonstrate the versatility of NIRS for OSI modeling and cultivar discrimination, making it a valuable tool for breeding programs and quality assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Genetics, Breeding, and Quality Improvement of Olive)
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Graphical abstract

15 pages, 5175 KiB  
Article
Unveiling the Genetic Diversity of Tunisian Monumental Olive Trees to Enhance the Olive Sector
by Sameh Rahmani Mnasri, Cinzia Montemurro, Monica Marilena Miazzi and Olfa Saddoud Debbabi
Horticulturae 2025, 11(2), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11020147 - 1 Feb 2025
Viewed by 875
Abstract
The centennial olive trees of Tunisia serve as enduring symbols of resilience, having withstood the test of time while witnessing the effects of climate change, rising temperatures, water scarcity, and the emergence of new diseases. Presently, there is a notable lack of research [...] Read more.
The centennial olive trees of Tunisia serve as enduring symbols of resilience, having withstood the test of time while witnessing the effects of climate change, rising temperatures, water scarcity, and the emergence of new diseases. Presently, there is a notable lack of research on the genomic analysis of ancient trees. This study investigates the genetic diversity of twenty-eight ancient olive specimens collected from archeological sites in nine governorates from the north to the south of Tunisia. Using nine highly polymorphic microsatellite markers, these ancient olive trees were compared with twenty-five local Tunisian cultivars and sixty olive varieties from other Mediterranean countries (Greece, Italy, and Spain). The ancient olive trees were revealed to have a high genetic diversity, with 67 alleles and a Shannon index of 1.68. The key findings identify the ancient trees M25, M1, M28, and M24 as synonyms for local olive cultivars, while “M10” is noted as a first-generation migrant from Tunisian olives. Cluster analysis methods, including structure, neighbor-joining (NJ), and principal coordinates (PCoA), show that these ancient trees share a common genetic background and ancestry with varieties from Tunisia, Italy, Spain, and Greece. The conservation and evaluation of these genotypes will increase the genetic diversity available for breeding programs and strengthen the resilience of agriculture, which is currently facing unprecedented pressure worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Genetics, Breeding, and Quality Improvement of Olive)
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