The
Olivière is a cultivar of
olives grown primarily in the Pyrénées-Orientales region of
southern France
, where it is
the most prevalent variety of olives. It is highly valued
for its exceptionally high tolerance to cold. The Olivière is
primarily used for oil, and even though the fruit yields a low
percentage, the trees carry large quantities of olives, and the oil
is of high quality.
Extent
The
Olivière is particularly common in the Pyrénées-Orientales, but also
in Aude
and Hérault.
It can
also be found in Italy
, Algeria
, and as far
away as China
.
Synonyms
The Olivière is known under a number of different names locally.
The local varieties in southern France include Bécaru, Galinenque,
Laurine, Michelenque, Ouana, Palma, Pointue and Pounchude. In Italy
it is referred to as Olivio Galliningo or Olivio Laureolo.
Characteristics
It is a cultivar of very good strength, and can grow to great
heights. It has a drooping
growth
form and elliptic
leaves. The olives are of
high weight, of a bulging, pointed shape, and asymmetrical. The
stone has a pointed apex and a rounded base, with a rough surface
and a
mucro. It is an early cultivar, and
matures in the month of October. When fully mature, the colour of
the fruit is brown.
Processing
The Olivière is used almost entirely for the extraction of
oil, though it can also be eaten. It gives a
relatively poor yield of oil (13–15 %), but it compensates for this
with an extremely good yield of fruit. Trees start bearing fruit
after only two or three years, and an adult tree can carry as much
as 100 kg (220 lb) of fruit a year. The aroma of the oil is
described as "fruit, almond and fresh apricots with a background
hint of spicy green mint".
Agronomy
The cultivar's vigour and productivity contribute to its
popularity. It is a self-sterile cultivar, so it needs the presence
of
pollinators. Among the olive cultivars
used for pollination are the
Cayon,
Picholine,
Verdale
and
Arbequine.
A major drawback with this cultivar is its vulnerability to certain
biological
pests, such as the
Bactrocera oleae,
Pseudomonas syringae,
Saissetia oleae, and
Sooty moulds. On the other hand, it has
an exceptional resistance to cold; after the devastatingly hard
winter of 1956, when most French olive orchards were destroyed,
many Olivière trees survived. That means that some of the trees of
this variety are over 400 years old.
References