Agronomical, Phenotypical and Biochemical Evaluation of Olive
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Physiology and Crop Production".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 3231
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biotechnologies to produce healthier foods and feeds; cloning and functional characterization of regulatory and structural genes involved in secondary metabolite synthesis and their stable accumulation in plant cells; plant breeding through transgenesis and interspecific hybridization; analysis via chromatographic and spectrophotometric techniques of the main compounds in fruits and olive oils
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The cultivated olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most representative and economically important crops in the Mediterranean region. The olive sector is currently experiencing a profound crisis due to the ever-changing environmental and climatic conditions and new phytosanitary emergencies. From this perspective derives the urgency to have alternative olive varieties that are resilient, adapted and plastic, and able to guarantee early fruiting and entry into production, as well as plant architecture suitable for fully mechanizing olive harvesting and pruning, low susceptibility to parasites and harmful pathogens, high productivity and oil yield, high content of secondary bioactive compounds, and high nutritional and sensory quality of olive oil.
Due to the prevalent out-crossing nature of the species, the olive still has a certain genetic variability to exploit in breeding programs. Accurate prospecting of olive-growing areas could highlight the presence of ancient, or wild olive trees, not traced back to previously cataloged varieties. In addition, it is possible to develop new varieties of olive trees starting from the crossing between known and genetically compatible genotypes to introduce improving characteristics.
This Special Issue welcomes scientific articles concerning the evaluation and selection of olive tree genotypes through agronomic, physiological, biochemical, and technological approaches in order to build a multidisciplinary network for a modern, more biodiverse, and competitive olive growing, with an increase in environmental sustainability and the safeguarding of product quality.
Dr. Valentina Passeri
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- olive
- olive oil
- genotype
- phenotype
- bioactive compounds
- plant architecture
- phenology
- climate change
Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Title: Study of the Biochemical Plasticity of the Virgin Olive Oils Produced from Foreign Varieties in Comparison with Autochthonous Tunisian Varieties
Authors: Barhoumi Nada 1; Passeri Valentina 2,*; Laroussi Mezghani Sonda 3; Stanzione Vitale 2; Nesrine Mahfoudhi 1; Bufacchi Marina 2; Issaoui Manel 1
Affiliation: 1 Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean, National Research Council, 06128 Perugia, Italy 2 Faculty of Science and Technology of Sidi Bouzid, University of Kairouan, Tunisia 3 Olea Conseils - Sfax - Tunisia
Abstract: Tunisia is one of the world’s leading olive oil production countries. However, it faces several challenges in obtaining adequate production of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, minimizing the negative impacts of climate change. To select olive varieties suitable for climate variations, we studied the biochemical profile and the oxidative stability in oils obtained from autochthonous varieties (Chétoui and Chemlali) in comparison with some introduced (Arbequina, Arbosana, Koroneiki, Picholine, Coratina, and Ascolana), under three types of Mediterranean climate: 1) temperate with hot and dry summer (Csa), 2) hot steppe (BSh) and 3) hot desert (BWh). According to the results obtained, olive oils from Tunisian varieties have an oleic acid range between 51.93 and 74.66% with the highest values in Chétoui in all climatic conditions. Among the varieties introduced, Arbequina has the lowest oleic acid content. Koroneiki, on the other hand, shows the highest value in most of the production sites studied with the highest oxidative stability (SO). This makes Koroneiki the most adaptable olive tree to the different climatic conditions of Tunisia. Chétoui olive oils tend to have the highest amount of oleuropein (570.46mg/kg). Nevertheless, introduced varieties exhibited the lowest amount of oleuropein (except Koroneiki olive oil). Temperature and precipitation but not longitude and latitude influence this compound. Oleocanthal, in contrast, is more pronounced in foreign varieties than in Tunisian ones. Autochthonous olive oils produced a high amount of α-tocopherols (ranging from 334.9 to 406.4mg/kg) under different climatic conditions. Squalene depends on temperature, longitude, and latitude and is very pronounced in Chétoui olive oils and some introduced varieties such as Ascolana, Picholine, and Koroneiki. The Chétoui autochthonous variety and the greek ones seem to have the most interesting biochemical profiles and the large plasticity behavior under different Tunisian climatic conditions.
