Main limiting factors in olive production

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It is common knowledge that quality in virgin olive oil starts in the field. The theories that say a good oil is created in the mill, or that the most important thing is the yield are long gone. Focusing on high quality extra virgin olive oil starts, without a doubt, in the grove.

The fruit of the olive tree is a heavy consumer of nutrients, therefore it is necessary to have a good supply of nutrients and good mineral and organic reserves in order to provide the necessary substances for the olives to properly develop.

Remember that it is necessary for the olive tree to produce good vegetative shoots and blossoms and fruits in the spring, which act as the main receptors of supply channels. The occurrence of different limiting factors can seriously impair the olive grove's level of production.

Regarding nutrition, if the plant has one nutrient in significantly less quantity and proportion than the other nutrients, it will not make any difference how much of the other nutrients we add. The lack of this nutrient is a limiting factor. So, it is very important to know and understand the cycle of the olive in order to know, at this moment,  which are the nutrients that are not available for the tree and which lack can be a limiting factor in our olive grove.

Cultural labor in olive groves is meant to minimize limiting factors. These labors are based on the following principles:

• Avoid competition with weeds and with the wood of the olive tree itself
• Ensure good nutrition from light
• Ensure good water and mineral plant nutrition
• Avoid decreases in production from plagues and diseases

Remember: everything we do to the olive tree is done so that every year the tree will produce fruit and grow.