As in any agricultural operation, olive cultivation aims to optimize both the quantity and quality of the olives produced.
Choosing the right cultivation system is essential for the economic viability of the farm. Below we analyze the main systems and their impact on the quality of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), which is what matters most to the final consumer.
Cultivation Systems
Olive growers have four main cultivation systems:
- Traditional mechanizable olive groves
- Traditional non-mechanizable olive groves
- Intensive olive groves
- Super-intensive olive groves
The Traditional System is the most common in the Mediterranean basin. It is based on older groves with low tree density, requiring decades to reach optimal production.
The Mechanizable Traditional Olive Grove is suitable for terrains with less than 20% slope, allowing machinery use. The Non-Mechanizable system is found in steeper areas, making mechanization and modernization impossible.
The Intensive Olive Grove allows planting between 200 and 600 trees per hectare, with a useful life of over 40 years, and is suitable for mechanization. The Super-Intensive system reaches up to 2,000 trees/ha in hedge formation, with a lifespan of 12–14 years, fully mechanized.
According to the Spanish Association of Olive Municipalities, 76% of Spanish olive groves are traditional (52% mechanizable and 24% non-mechanizable), 22% intensive, and 2% super-intensive.
The choice of system depends on water availability, sunlight, terrain type, and olive variety. Planting density varies depending on rainfed or irrigated conditions, with autumn and spring being the most recommended periods.
Olive Grove Care
To obtain high-quality EVOO, several tasks are essential:
Pruning: Crucial for tree productivity. Done after harvest, ideally yearly, to remove dead branches and allow sunlight to reach the canopy.
Irrigation: Although 95% of olive groves are rainfed, controlled drip irrigation in spring and summer can significantly boost production.
Fertilization: Applied from the second year on fertile soils, using nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Plant protection: Identifying and treating diseases such as leaf spot or pests like mites is vital for olive health.
Weeding is also recommended in spring and summer, or herbicides can be applied before fruit set.
These practices refer to conventional cultivation. Organic olive growing requires specific techniques, which we cover in another blog post.
Does the Cultivation System Affect EVOO Quality?
No. The designation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil depends on chemical and organoleptic analyses, not on the cultivation system. EVOO can come from traditional, intensive, or super-intensive groves, whether rainfed or irrigated.
What does vary is the sensory profile. That’s why at Origen Oliva we select only superior quality EVOOs from the best producers in Jaén, the world capital of olive oil.
