The European Commission forecasts olive oil prices will remain elevated into 2024 as drought, low stocks, and reduced yields pressure EU producers and consumers.
Green Vegetable Bug (GVB), Nezara viridula, is a sap-sucking “stink bug” that is generally considered a minor or sporadic pest in Australian olives. However, under certain conditions - particularly in warm, humid olive-growing regions - GVB infestations have caused severe damage in conjunction with fungal diseases. In northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland, heavy GVB activity combined with anthracnose (olive fruit rot) has led to crop
Discover the main causes of fruit and flower drop in fruit trees and learn practical remedies to reduce losses. Explore solutions like fertilisation, pruning, irrigation management, and pollination support to improve yields and orchard health.
This article explores the direct use of alperujo - olive mill waste - as a soil amendment in olive groves. Backed by an 18-month study in Spain, it evaluates soil impact, carbon levels, and nutrient balance, highlighting the potential of this circular farming practice for small producers. Find out more about Olive Mill Waste.
Thinking about making your own olive oil? This guide from The Olive Centre explains what beginners must understand before starting. Budget machines under $10,000 often fail to produce real extra virgin olive oil, which requires proper crushers, malaxers, and decanters. The article covers each stage of extraction, from breaking down olive pits to controlled malaxation and centrifugal separation.
This article explores how key settings such as the choice between two-phase or three-phase systems and the differential speed (Dn) between the drum and screw directly shape the quality of olive oil.
The Curculio Beetle (Apple Weevil) is a destructive pest in olive groves, attacking leaves, shoots, and roots. This guide explains its life cycle, damage signs, and proven control strategies. Learn how pruning, sticky barriers, poultry grazing, and organic sprays like Formula V can help protect olive trees. Explore integrated pest management methods to safeguard your grove and reduce costly losses.
This article explores the unique hormonal controls behind olive fruit ripening. Unlike climacteric fruits that rely on ethylene, olives are primarily guided by abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonates (JA), and auxins. It explains how these hormones regulate color change, oil accumulation, and fruit drop, while highlighting ethylene’s limited but practical role in harvest management. Designed for growers and agronomists, it translates physiology ins
Learn how olive fruit retention force (FRF) and detachment index (DI) guide ripening, harvest timing, and mechanical efficiency while reducing fruit loss. Fruit retention (or detachment/removal) force is the tensile force needed to separate an olive from its pedicel at the abscission zone (AZ). It’s typically reported in newtons (N) or grams-force (gf) i.e. 1 N ≈ 102 gf. Most gauges measure a direct pull, but torsion and bending also matter in..
Olive trees often swing between heavy and light crops. This article explains why biennial bearing happens and how growers can manage it for steadier harvests.
