|
|
| Overview - This is adaped from a 2008 presentation by Dr. Joan Tous and is presented in tabular form for the convenience of the reader. |
| I. Overview |
|
1. Traditional: 100 trees/ha
|
|
2. Intensive: 200-400 trees/ha (tall Vase); 500-700 trees/ha (central leader)
|
|
3. Super-High-Density: greater than 1.500 trees/ha |
| II. Details on Intensive & Super-High-Density |
|
1. Intensive - Tree Shaker |
|
|
a. 200-400 trees/ha (tall free vase) |
|
|
b. Efficiency of tree shaker |
|
|
|
ii. training system |
|
|
|
iv. fruit removal force |
|
|
|
vi. harvest period |
|
|
|
viii. tree age |
|
2. Intensive Integral - Collossus: 400-500 trees/ha (free vase or central leader) |
|
3. Intensive - Lateral Hedge Harvesters: 600-800 trees/ha (central leader) |
|
4. Intensive Orchards - Advantages |
|
|
a. Good Orographic & Edapho-climate Conditions |
|
|
b. Mechanization |
|
|
c. Medium-Low Crop Costs |
|
|
d. High Yields (Argequina, Picual, Leccino & others): 5,000 to 7,000 Kg/ha dry; 20,000 to 13,000 Kg/ha with irregation |
|
|
e. Good Economic Returns |
|
|
f. Medium to Long Economic Life |
| III. Hedgerow (Super-High-Density) Orchards |
|
1. Greater than 1,500 trees/ha; Usual Layout: 4 Meters x 1.5 meters |
|
2. Main Advantages of Hedgerow System |
|
|
a. Early Bearing |
|
|
b. High Yields in the First Years After Planting |
|
|
c. Integral Harvest Mechanization |
|
|
d. Fruit Harvesting Very Fast |
|
|
e. Good Oil Quality |
|
3. Issues & Opportunities |
|
|
a. 40,000 ha Worldwide (65% in Spain) |
|
|
b. Irrigation Needs > 2,000 M3/ha |
|
|
c. Plantation in Flat & Medium-Large Groves (> 15 ha) |
|
|
d. High Planting Costs & Higher Impact of Drought & Frost |
|
|
e. Mechanization of Orchards (Continuous Harvesters) |
|
|
f. Crop Management Problems (Pruning, Light Distribution & Diseases) |
|
|
g. Yields and Profits are Currently Being Studied |
|
|
h. Short Term Investment (~ 15 Years depending on Latitude) |
|
|
i. Issue of Replanting versus Rejuvination Pruning |
|
4. Plant Material |
|
|
a. Few Cultivars with Compact & Medium-Low Vigor: Arbequina; Arbosana & Koroneiki |
|
|
b. Limited Published Results from Cultivar Trials: Godini et al. ('06); Leon et al. ('06); Tous et al. ('03 & '06) |
|
|
c. R & D In Progress to Reduce Olive Vigor |
|
|
|
i. Breeding Programs (IRTA, Univ. of Cordoba & others) |
|
|
|
ii. Dwarf Rootstock Selections (IRTA, CIFA Cordoba) |
|
|
|
iii. In Coming Years: First Clones of Empeltre Cultivar (Oil & Table Olives); Dwarf Rootstocks |
|
5. Cultivar Trial: Tarragone (Catalonia) |
|
|
|
|
Cultivar
|
Precosity (3rd yr) Kg/ha
|
Ave Yield (3rd-6th yr) Kg/ha
|
|
Arbequina
|
6,800
|
8,600
|
|
Arbosana
|
5,400
|
7,200
|
|
Joanenca
|
2,900
|
6,300
|
|
FS-17
|
2,000
|
3,800
|
|
|
6. Central Leader Training Capability |
|
|
a. Arbequina: Semierect Habitat, 3 M high by 1 M wide; row spacing 4 M (North-South) |
|
|
b. Arbosana: Open Habitat; BRUCE I NEED HELP HERE |
|
7. Rootstocks - Present Situation: Arbequina Vigor Can be Reduced by Using Rootstocks (Not Commerically Available) |
|
8. Crop Management Problems |
|
|
a. Very High Densities = Lower Light & Ventilation Levels Inside Canopy |
|
|
b. < 10-20% Full Sunlight Distribution In the Canopy (July-October) |
|
|
|
i. Decreased Flower Bud Initiation |
|
|
|
ii. Decreased Fruit Set |
|
|
|
iii. Decreased Fruit Size and Oil Content |
|
|
c. Oil Quality: Changes Related to growing Area & Latitude |
|
|
d. Fruit Changes Due to Plant Density (shading effects) |
|
|
|
|
Height
|
Humidity
|
Oil db
|
Oil wb
|
Production
|
|
~ 3M
|
56.0
|
44.3
|
19.5
|
50%
|
|
~ 2M
|
57.6
|
39.2
|
16.6
|
48%
|
|
~.5 M
|
59.2
|
36.0
|
14.7
|
2%
|
|
|
9. Pests & Diseases |
|
|
a. Verticillium |
|
|
b. Gliphodes |
|
|
c. Antracnosis (Colletotrichum spp) |
|
|
d. Cercosporiosis (Pseudocercospora cladosporioides) |
|
|
e. Olive Leaf Spot |
|
10. Continuous Harvester Efficiency |
|
|
a. Removed Fruit = 90% on Average Without Significant Differences Between Cultivars |
|
|
b. Remaining Fruit on the Tree by Cultivar:Arbequina (~1%);FS-17 (~4%);Arbosana (~5%);Koroneiki (~7%) |
|
|
c. Broken Branches (4th-5th yrs) per 100 trees by Cyltivar: Arbequina (10); Arbosana (17); FS-17 (30); Koroneiki (40) |
|
|
d. Arbequina Potential yield (Kg/ha) |
|
|
|
| Orchard Year |
Min Obs (Kg/ha) |
Mean Obs (Kg/ha) |
Max Obs (Kg/ha) |
| 3 |
5,000 |
9,000 |
17,000 |
| 4 |
5,000 |
10,000 |
17,500 |
| 5 |
7,000 |
13,500 |
22,000 |
| 6 |
6,500 |
7,900 |
12,000 |
| 7 |
5,000 |
9,500 |
13,800 |
| 8 |
9,000 |
9,700 |
10,000 |
| 9 |
8,000 |
9,000 |
10,000 |
|
|
11. Topping: First Cut After 5-6 Years, Then Again at 10 Years |
|
12. Pruning Strategies in Mature Trees |
|
|
a. Hand Pruning (Pneumatic Scissors) |
|
|
b Topping and Hedge Mechanical Pruning |
|
|
c. Mixed Hand (sides 6 feet high) and Mechanical (above 6 feet) Pruning |
|
13 Fate of Orchard After 15 Years? |
|
|
a. End of Investment? |
|
|
b. Replanting. Soil Diseases? |
|
|
c. Rejuvenation Pruning ( Viability of Different Options Under Study) |
|
|
|
• One Possibility is Full Row Removal at 10 Years: Go From 3 x 1.5 M to 6 x 1.5 M |
| IV. Economic Evaluation: Intensive vs Hedgerow (Super-High-Density) |
|
1. Investment Costs: Intensive (300 trees/ha) = $4,500/ha; Hedgerow (2000 trees/ha) = $12,000 to $13,500/ha |
|
2. Pruning Costs: Intensive (300 trees/ha) = 20-25 hrs/ha; Hedgerow (2000 trees/ha) = 40-50 hrs/ha (Pneumatic Scissors) |
|
3. Harvest Costs |
|
|
| Type & Density (trees/ha) |
Harvest Method
|
Cost ($/Kg)
|
Harvest Rate
|
|
Intensive 300
|
Shaker + Umbrella
|
0.20 - 0.23
|
1 - 2 (ha/day)
|
|
Intensive 600
|
Colosus
|
0.10 - 0.15
|
2 - 3 (ha/day)
|
|
Hedgerow (Super High Density)
2000
|
Straddle Harvester
|
0.06 - 0.10
|
3 - 4 (ha/day)
|
|
|
4. Economic Profitability |
|
|
a. Few Economic Studies Comparing Both Densities |
|
|
b. Initial Results |
|
|
|
i. Both Systems are Profitable - intensive has better financial indices |
|
|
|
ii. Hedgerow: Financial not Agronomic Criteria (greater interest in a fast & easy harvests vs. overall cost reduction) |
|
|
|
iii. Other Factors: Investment type; Orchard Size; Labor facilities |
| V. Summary: Intensive Orchards |
|
1. All Cultivars |
|
2. Medium-Long Economic Life (30 years) |
|
3. Many Orchard Sizes |
|
4. Easy Crop Management |
|
5. Good Profitability |
|
6. Use of New Lateral Hedge or Integral Harvesters |
|
7. More Intensive Layoughts (400-600 trees/ha) |
|
8. Mechanical Pruning |
|
9. Integrated Pest & Disease Management |
| V. Summary: Hedgerow (Super High Density) Orchards |
|
1. Compact, low to medium vigor, early bearing Cultivars (Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki) |
|
2. Soil Quality (Fair) |
|
3. Short Term Investment (15 Years) |
|
4. Replanting or Rejuvenation Pruning After ~ 15 years |
|
5. Very High Planting Costs |
|
6. Medium to Large Orchard Size with Irrigation |
|
7. Straddle Harvester Availability |
|
8. Oil Mill's Size related to Harvest Dimension |
|
9. Crop Mangt & Global Returns Still Under Study (cultivars, densities, pruning, new harvesters, rootstoecks, etc.) |
|
10. Investments Usually Not Related to the Agronomic Sector |
|
|
|
|