Evaluation of Olea europaea L. hybrids for breeding

Background. Breeding of new high-yielding cultivars is one of the most effective strategies to increase yields of Olea europaea L. According to the International Olive Council (IOC), the world’s olive cultivation is estimated at 10.9 million hectares and tends to increase. Rising demand for canned fruits and olive oil stimulates producers to increase production. Thus, introduction of new high-yielding cultivars with high oil content in fruits is an urgent task.

Materials and methods. Studies were conducted on 60-year-old trees planted at a distance of 5 × 5 m from each other, with a planting density of 400 trees per ha^–1 and southern exposure of the slope. The experiment was conducted in 2022–2024 on the leaves of 60 olive hybrids developed at the Nikita Botanical Gardens. Two commercial Italian cultivars, ‘Ascolano’ and ‘Corregiolo’, were used as a control.

Results. Main agronomic and biological traits of 60 promising hybrids were studied (yield, fruit weight, oil content, pulp/stone ratio, timing of the main phenophases, etc.).

Significant variations of useful agronomic characters, such as fruit weight (from 2.2 to 9.5 g), fruit oil content (from 16 to 33%), pulp to stone ratio (from 68 to 92%), and yield (from 1.6 to 12.8 t/ha), were revealed in the studied genotypes of European olives. Based on a set of important agronomic characteristics, hybrid forms most interesting for production testing were identified: 35-6/15, 35-5/31, 35-9/5, and 35-16/13. They can be used to produce a domestic assortment of O. europaea.

Conclusion. O. europaea hybrid genotypes were selected that surpassed cvs. ‘Ascolano’ and ‘Corregiolo’ in a set of important agronomic traits. Good yields, large fruits, and high oil content make these hybrids promising for use in breeding and production trials in the south of Russia.

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