OLIVE PRUNING, SUCCESS FOR THE EVENT ORGANIZED IN IRPINIA BY APOOAT

The pruning course organized byAPOOAT was a success. More and more young people are approaching the world ofExtra Virgin Olive Oil.

The interest in Extra Virgin Olive Oil is increasing more and more, and this was also confirmed thanks to the training course for olive growers held at the Locoil – Olio Lo Conte oil mill in Ariano Irpino, which was attended by about 50 people from Grottaminarda, Montecalvo Irpino, Casalbore, Villanova del Battista, Sturno, Frigento, and many other towns that embrace Irpinia and the Ufita Valley, home of EVO oil.

Irpinia and all of Campania produces Extra Virgin Olive Oil from particular native cultivars such as: Ogliarola, Ravece, Ortice, Ortolana, Racioppella.

The Ogliarola

Ogliarola, is one of the most widespread varieties throughout the province of Avellino, also known in other parts of Campania. It has pendulous fruiting branches and a high and constant production.

La Ravece

The Ravece is one of the best-known cultivars; in fact, it has been documented since the early 1500s. It has a rather low yield, but is highly valued for the quality of its oil and its consistent productivity.

The Urtice

Ortice is found throughout Campania, but is also referred to by different names, but the area where it is most developed is the high hills of the Benevento area. It is distinguished by its abundant production with a fair yield in oil.

The Nettlewoman

Ortolana is also called Melella, due to its hint precisely of Apple that it introduces into the oil. It has pendulous fruiting branches. It has an average yield (around 13 percent) and is very susceptible to peacock eye and fly attacks.

La Racioppella

Racioppella is widespread in the Benevento area. It is prized for its consistent productivity, but more for the quality of the oil than the yield. It too is called by different names. It has strong resistance to olive fly, peacock’s eye and low temperatures.

Four theoretical lectures and one in the field at theMottola Carmela Farm in Bonito (Av), which aimed to train qualified people in olive pruning.

Pruning the Olive Tree

How to distinguish the branches of the olive tree

A professional pruner needs to be familiar with the different types of branches on the olive tree, generally on two-year-old branches there are never any fruit, while the twigs of the year are the ones that bear fruit, those that will bear olives next year are called fruiting branches instead.
Understanding and distinguishing the shoots that appear on olive trees each year is important. On the olive tree we find the suckers that arise on the latent buds, generally born on the trunk, the extension branches, which are easy to distinguish because they tend to bend to pendulum and the suckers that generally develop on the stump.

Posted by:

Alfio Lo Conte

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Tecnico ed esperto degli oli extravergini di oliva, iscritto nell’Elenco Nazionale sezione Campania. Maestro di frantoio con diploma, conseguito presso International Extravirgin Agency.

Read more articles by: Alfio Lo Conte