Cultivars and Olive Growing Systems in Spain

Traditional olive orchards in Spain have been characterized by low planting densities, long centennial life span, and high number of cultivars and are typically located in marginal areas. This traditional olive growing is characterized by low productivity, low inputs, and a very high biennial bearing but with a high cultivar biodiversity. However, from the mid-twentieth century, a new trend of intensification is taking place in olive orchards. In the last 20 years, olive growing intensification led to the development of the hedgerow growing system, characterized by a very high planting density where trees formed hedgerows to be harvested by straddle machines. This intensification was accompanied by a reduction of cultivar’s diversity, which has boosted the activity of some breeding programs aimed at producing modern cultivars specifically adapted to this new growing system. This is the case of “Sikitita,” the first breeding cultivar produced in Spain, with a weeping habit. In the future, both olive growing systems and cultivars should evolve together in order to fit the changing demands in the olive oil market as well as potential unknown challenges emerging from new scenarios such as climate change.