New trends in olive orchard design for continuous mechanical harvesting. (Special Issue: Integral mechanical harvesting of oil olives and the influence of growing systems.)

摘要

The productivity of traditional olive orchards (80 to 100 trees/ha) is relatively low and crop costs are very high (harvesting, pruning, etc.). Since the 1970s, several authors have recommended using higher densities (intensive system) of about 200-500 trees/ha, designed for harvesting with trunk shakers, for higher yields and low-medium production costs. In the beginning of the 1990s, a new type of olive orchard (super-high density hedgerow) appeared in Catalonia (NE of Spain), with densities ranging between 1,500 and 2,500 trees/ha. Later this type of orchard was introduced into other Spanish regions and other countries. This system facilitated the use of continuous straddle mechanical harvesters and the achievement of higher yields within a few years after planting. To improve the efficiency of the harvester, vigour must be managed to limit tree size while maintaining high productivity. There are few cultivars adapted to this system and currently 'Arbequina IRTA-i.18Reg.', 'Arbosana i.43' and 'Koroneiki i.38' are the most used for this type of very high density orchard. In recent years some research programs have begun to improve the viability of these orchards, through breeding programs, rootstocks selection, and crop management. This review discusses the agronomic advantages and problems for this system, comparing them with results obtained in intensive orchards.