Hunter Olive Association - Hunter olive handbook : a practical guide for sustainable olive production

EDITOR

Peter OMeara

TECHNICAL EDITORS

R. Marcelo Berlanda

Robert Spooner-Hart

HUNTER OLIVE ASSOCIATION

116 CONEY CREEK LANE

QUORROBOLONG NSW 2325

Publishing Details

Hunter Olive Handbook by Hunter Olive Association (HOA)

Published by Australian eBook Publisher

Hunter Olive Association (HOA) 2016

The moral right of the author has been asserted. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright restricted above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.

Ebook Version

1st Edition 2016, electronic

ISBN: 978-1-925427-89-9 (ePub)

ISBN: 978-1-925427-90-5 (Mobi)

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Ebook files created and distributed by: Australian eBook Publisher

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NOTICE

This book is based on the findings of a study undertaken by the Hunter Olive Association (HOA) in 2015. It is intended as a general guide for growers in the Hunter region and accordingly the HOA expresses no opinion on whether these findings represent a true and fair view for any individual grower. Because of the many variables involved, no warranty of accuracy and reliability for individual growers can be given. While every effort has been made to develop practical and relevant data, this should be seen as a guide only, against which growers can plan activities and benchmark their own performance. The data used is from a study undertaken in the Hunter Valley, and while we believe many of the findings are relevant to other regions we have not tested them in any other region so we make no claim that they are relevant to other regions.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry : (ebook : epub)

THE HUNTER OLIVE HANDBOOK

Table of Contents

What this handbook is about

For two years (2013-14) most olive growers in the lower Hunter experienced poor grove performance. Yields, generally, were well below standard and in many cases non-existent.

Of course there was much discussion between the growers as to the cause. Most people had theories but of course none had facts: some suggested that strong westerly winds had interrupted the flowering cycle; others suggested that dry conditions stopped the flowering cycle; still others blamed pests, especially olive lace bug, for the lack of production; there were even suggestions that not producing any olives for 2 years in a row was normal biannual production and that the trees were confused.

No one suggested that perhaps the growers themselves may have contributed to the problem.

The committee of the Hunter Olive Association decided that it was important to develop a better understanding of the causative factors and, if possible, to develop guidelines to assist growers to make informed decisions and to take actions to develop sustainable production levels.

To this end the committee invited selected growers to participate in a study of inputs and outputs on their groves. In return for professional mentoring and consulting, growers agreed to provide data and share experiences on varieties, irrigation, fertilisation, outcomes and more, and to consolidate this into a report. The groves selected were diverse in size and geography within the area.

This handbook documents the findings and suggests a number of practical and strategic initiatives based on the collated evidence. Unsurprisingly, many of the findings relate to paying better attention to agricultural basics. Notably, excellent gains in olive production levels can be achieved by the implementation of specific programs; especially those of tree pruning and grove irrigation. While all growers in the study benefitted from the consultations, not all results were uniform. It is clear that serious growers need to work their groves with a broader, more disciplined approach. There are no silver bullets.

The good news is that while there was previous gloom about production, new benchmarks have been established that show it is possible to have a successful olive business in the area. The essence of the success is to have a high quality product that will enable a better than average financial return. This requires work and does not happen by accident.

This is an educative handbook for those growing olives and for those who are thinking about doing so. These guidelines are practical, factual and concise. The vast majority of olive growers in this country are small growers with less than 2000 trees in their grove. In the main they are searching for information and hungry for guidance. This book is for them. There are many reference texts and academic papers available for those who are motivated to follow up and wish to research more detailed information, and some of those references are provided in the appendix.

This is a first edition. We hope this book will educate and inspire other growers to build more productive groves and develop a stronger olive industry within the region and potentially the smaller growers throughout Australia. Our hope is that future editions will add new insights to improve productivity and profitability. We wish you good luck on your journey.

Peter OMeara

Past President

Hunter Olive Association 2016

Acknowledgements

This Handbook has many contributors. It has been a cooperative effort and I wish to thank the many people who have willingly supported its development. In particular, I thank the members and committee of the Hunter Olive Association who supported the initial study and contributed so much to the structure and integrity of this finished product.

I also want to thank the following for their contributions and ready willingness to share their knowledge and experience:

Marcelo Berlanda from Olive Services Australia who acted as the primary consultant and leader of the study. We thank him for his ability to share knowledge and motivate us, and also for his unfailing patience.

Associate Professor Robert Spooner-Hart who generously provided the chapter on Pests and Diseases. It is clear, concise and authoritative.

The Study Group . You are the people who played a critical role by opening up your groves, sharing experiences and helping us develop performance benchmarks. You know who you are and we are grateful for your openness and cooperation.

Thank you one and all.

Peter OMeara

Lovedale

May 2016