Sustainable Cultivation and Breeding of Olive Trees

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Fruit Production Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2024 | Viewed by 1815

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: plant physiology; sustainable soil management; plant biochemistry; climate change adaptation and mitigation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 12540 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: plant physiology; agronomic practices; kaolin; salicylic acid; climate change adaptation; abiotic stresses; plant biochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The open access journal Horticulturae (IF: 3.1; Q1 in Horticulture) is pleased to announce the launch of a new Special Issue titled “Sustainable Cultivation and Breeding of Olive Trees”.

The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most cultivated crops in the Mediterranean region. The growing awareness of the olive oil nutritional value has led to an increase in its consumption, motivating an expansion of the olive tree cultivation area and an intensification of olive oil production. Although being a well-adapted species, the olive tree is currently facing new challenges. Factors such as climate change, increasing pests and diseases, and soil degradation pose threats to the sustainability of this crop.

Considering the significance of the olive sector, it is crucial to increase the sustainability and competitiveness of the orchards. This goal can be achieved through the study and implementation of agricultural practices that facilitate the adaptation to climate change, but also contribute to its mitigation.

This Special Issue will focus on the recent advances in sustainable cultivation and breeding of the olive tree. Research papers, communications, and review articles are all welcome. In particular, we encourage contributions on, but not limited, to the following topics:

  • Sustainable management practices;
  • Breeding;
  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation;
  • Ecosystem management and services;
  • Pests and diseases;
  • Olive tree physiology and biochemistry;
  • Olive fruit and oil quality;
  • Biotechnology and by-products.

Dr. Sandra Martins
Dr. Cátia Brito
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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
  • sustainable agronomic practices
  • breeding
  • olive tree performance
  • olive fruit composition
  • olive oil quality

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2364 KiB  
Article
Arbosana Olive Is Self-Incompatible, but Inter-Compatible with Some Other Low-Vigor Olive Cultivars
by Julián Cuevas, Fernando M. Chiamolera, Virginia Pinillos, Francisco Rodríguez, Irene Salinas, Diego Cabello, Alenka Baruca Arbeiter, Dunja Bandelj, Marina Raboteg Božiković and Gabriela Vuletin Selak
Horticulturae 2024, 10(7), 739; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10070739 - 12 Jul 2024
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Abstract
Trendy high-density olive fields are often monovarietal orchards, mostly using the cultivar Arbequina. However, Arbequina shows a strong self-incompatibility response, and its yields depend on wind cross-pollination, which is not always available. With the aim of finding suitable self-compatible cultivars that can replace [...] Read more.
Trendy high-density olive fields are often monovarietal orchards, mostly using the cultivar Arbequina. However, Arbequina shows a strong self-incompatibility response, and its yields depend on wind cross-pollination, which is not always available. With the aim of finding suitable self-compatible cultivars that can replace Arbequina, we evaluated pollen–pistil interaction, fruit set and seed paternity in Arbosana under different pollination treatments: self-pollination, open-pollination and three cross-pollination treatments: × Arbequina, × Sikitita and × Koroneiki. All these cultivars are low-vigor cultivars suitable for high-density orchards, making them potential pollinizers for Arbosana. The results show that Arbosana is also self-incompatible with a strong reduction in fruit set due to a lower fertilization level caused by a strong inhibition of pollen tube growth in self-pollinated flowers. Seed-paternity analyses confirmed the self-incompatibility response of Arbosana and suggest that some fruit obtained in bagged shoots under self-pollination were, in fact, a product of cross-fertilization. In conclusion, we recommend against the use of Arbosana in large monovarietal orchards. On the contrary, good results were obtained under cross-pollination with Sikitita, Arbequina and Koroneiki pollen, allowing us to recommend them as pollinizers for Arbosana in appropriate pollination designs. This is the first time Arbosana self-incompatibility has been reported. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cultivation and Breeding of Olive Trees)
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Review

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28 pages, 1655 KiB  
Review
Enhancing Olive Cultivation Resilience: Sustainable Long-Term and Short-Term Adaptation Strategies to Alleviate Climate Change Impacts
by Sandra Martins, Sandra Pereira, Lia-Tânia Dinis and Cátia Brito
Horticulturae 2024, 10(10), 1066; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10101066 - 5 Oct 2024
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Abstract
Olive cultivation, an icon of Mediterranean agriculture, economy, and cultural heritage, faces significant challenges due to climate change and soil degradation. Climate projections indicate that altered precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, and increased frequency of extreme weather events will adversely affect olive tree growth, [...] Read more.
Olive cultivation, an icon of Mediterranean agriculture, economy, and cultural heritage, faces significant challenges due to climate change and soil degradation. Climate projections indicate that altered precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, and increased frequency of extreme weather events will adversely affect olive tree growth, fruit quality, and yield. This review provides a novel perspective on addressing these challenges through both long-term and short-term adaptation strategies, emphasizing innovative products, advanced technologies, and practical solutions that must work synergistically and be tailored to regional conditions. Long-term practices refer to proactive strategies for enduring climate resilience, including cover cropping, mulching, soil amendments, and breeding programs which enhance soil health, improve water retention, and increase the trees’ resilience. Short-term strategies focus on immediate impacts, offering immediate stress relief and enhanced plant physiological responses, including optimized irrigation systems, pruning management, particle coating films, biostimulants, and plant growth regulators. The review underscores the importance of aligning agricultural practices with sustainability goals and evolving environmental policies and the education of farmers and policymakers. By integrating adaptive practices and technological advancements, the olive sector can better address climate challenges, contribute to global food security, and advance environmental sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cultivation and Breeding of Olive Trees)
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