Flower Quality in Orchards of Olive, "Olea europaea" L., cv. Morisca

Abstract

A complete evaluation of flower quality for the olive tree includes parameters at different levels of morphological organization, from the inflorescence to the pollen and ovule. In this study we examined inflorescence, flower gender, ovary structure, ovule development and pollen integrity in commercial orchards of olive cv. Morisca, suspected of having floral quality limitations to production. Low values were found in flower number, perfect flowers and pollen quality, but fertile inflorescences (with at least one perfect flower), ovary growth and ovule development were normal. The observed shortcomings appear to be a characteristic of this cultivar, but not necessarily a serious limitation to fruit production. In this report, the methods for evaluating different floral quality parameters in the olive tree are described and it is suggested that compensation among them is part of the reproductive strategy of this species.