The Olive Growing Revolution (Ελαιοκομία - έκδοση στα αγγλικά)

The Olive Growing Revolution
The Super High Density System

The first super high density or hedgerow plantations, carried out in 1995 in Spain by the plant-nursery company Agromillora caused a real revolution in a culture that had remained virtually unchanged in the last centuries.
The increase of the density of planting and the mechanized harvesting with the same over-the-row harvesters used in grape-harvesting, symbolized the changing process towards an olive-growing culture that is more and more introducing the use of technology.
The expansion of this system has gone beyond the traditional oil producing countries of the Mediterranean basin (Italy, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia...) and, today, is an inseparable part of the olive-growing landscape of countries such as the United States, Chile or Australia.
All the above, together with changes in the main actors of the sector and technical news, are factors which justify the objective aimed with this book: showing the new reality of a sector that is in a phase of complete metamorphosis. The authors renounced to include general information in each one of the chapters, considering that it is treated extensively in most of the books on olive-growing. It is intended that each one of the chapters, unequivocally defining the parameters that have an influence on the super high density model, would also become a motivating introduction so that the reader might be able to deepen the topics discussed in other more specialized books:
Origin and current situation in the main olive-growing countries of the world.
Necessary steps for establishing this kind of plantations and accurate care during the early years.
Agronomical properties of the varieties adapted to this system and organoleptic characteristics of their oils.
General issues about irrigation, the regulated deficit irrigation and its influence on oil production and quality.
Importance of the development of foliar analysis to plan the fertilization, and relevance of nutritional aspects to ensure a constant production.
Soil mapping and soil management issues to obtain the maximum profitability of the plantation.
Analysis of the aspects that influence production and oil quality
Importance of pruning techniques, needed in this type of plantations to keep their structure and long-term sustainability.
Monitoring and control of major pests and diseases.
All of the above are aspects which, taken in consideration for the design and daily management of our groves, allow obtaining high and steady productions with low costs and to elaborate extra virgin olive oil of unquestionable quality, as a consequence of the simplicity of management and the reduction of the working periods required for each one of the operations involved (from planting to harvest).
It is the desire of the authors that the readers find in this book extremely practical information and that, most of it may be of consistent application in the daily management of his/her grove.
Despite the accurate care and diligent dedication in writing this text, the authors will be thankful for any suggestions that might help them with its improvement.