Assessment of growth behaviour, yield, and quality parameters of some olive (Olea europaea) cultivars in Turkey

Abstract

Olive (Olea europaea) is one of the oldest cultivated species in the Mediterranean basin and it is widespread throughout the Mediterranean region. In this study, we determined several phenological, morphological, and pomological characteristics of a number of olive cultivars when grown in Hatay province in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. The 21 cultivars examined had their origins in Italy, Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey. The earliest flowering was observed in ‘Gemlik’ and ‘Silifke yaglik’ on 4 May whereas the latest flowering was in ‘Memeli’, ‘Domat’, and ‘Savrani’ on 10 May. ‘Gemlik’ and ‘Manzanilla de Sevilla’ produced the highest cumulative yield over a 4‐year period. The largest fruit were from ‘ Ascolana’, averaging 6.72 g whereas ‘Kilis yağlik’ (2.05 g), ‘Nizip yağlik’ (2.33 g), and ‘Meski’ (2.43 g) had the smallest fruit. The flesh comprised the highest fraction of total fruit weight in ‘Manzanilla de Sevilla’ (86.4%), ‘Gemlik’ (86.4%), ‘Edincik su’ (86.3%), ‘Hojiblanca’ (86.1%), and ‘Halhali’ (86.0%). The highest oil content was in ‘Kilis yaglik’ (31.2%) and ‘Savrani’ (29.3%). Based on our results, ‘Gemlik’ and ‘Manzanilla de Sevilla’ are suggested for table olive production in the Hatay region whereas ‘Memecik’, ‘Kilis yaglik’, and ‘Sari ulak’ are the most suitable for oil production.