24 Apr 2023, 15:36
Juan José Mercado Gavilán
Seguimiento
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Tags: olive grove, flowering

FOLLOW-UP OLIVE TREES April 2023: Sampling and flowering advanced.

We continue with the low rainfall and a field that has not yet recovered.

We are happy to greet all the readers of the Mergaoliva blog.

It has been a while since we have updated the news on what is happening. A few months ago we finished the harvesting and milling season, which has been somewhat atypical, like almost everything else that has been happening in recent times.

A season characterised by a decrease in the fruit in line with what was expected in the months leading up to the harvest: appearances deceived us as never before. The olive tree was dressed with fruit on the outside, but there was little on the inside. The fatigue caused by the lack of rainwater was evident. The weight of the fruit did not correspond to its physical appearance either. This was followed by low to medium fat yields. Everything seems to be negative, but we must also consider that the quality of the EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) obtained has been as good as in previous years, or BETTER if I may say so.

A little because of the disappointments mentioned above and a little because of the tasks to try to cope with the situation of the olive grove, we have been away from the publications in the Mergaoliva Blog. But, like everything else, the time always comes when it is time to attend to certain purposes. At the request of some of you, followers of what we are doing, here we are again to offer the latest news in our olive groves. Thanks from here for giving us that "little push" of encouragement that we sometimes need so much.

How much I would like to write today that the stressful situation of our fields has been partially solved; how much I would like to tell you that the rains have been abundant, or at least sufficient, to alleviate the situation suffered by our thirsty soils, both for olive groves and other crops; without forgetting the difficulties that other trades have to endure, such as livestock farmers who, due to the lack of rain, have no pasture for their livestock. As of today we are in a worse situation than last year: the levels of the reservoirs are below minimum levels. Water allocations for irrigation will be half of what they were in the previous period. Indeed, we have a big problem ahead of us, and a difficult one to remedy. I am sorry to be realistic in what I write, not pessimistic as some would say.

Let us look at the positive side of this situation: the olive tree has behaved like a true champion. As our ancestor Columella said: "Olea primum omnium arborem est", the olive tree is the king of trees (the olive tree, prodigy until it dies). In spite of the insufficient rainfall, and given what we were saying about the drop in fruit production, the olive tree has been emboldened and has drawn strength from where there was none, taking on an almost unusual appearance. It has put on its foliage and changed its physical appearance in an unexpected way: I think there are many growers who will agree with what I have just written. Seeing the olive groves before the few rains that have fallen, and seeing them since those rains, has been an unusual experience. There were times when we thought that the olive groves were going to be lost, but with the little that the sky gave them, they showed their best.

The appearance of the "sample" was also unexpected, being of a large amount. We had hoped for the rains in April, but they did not come. The sample or plot has gone ahead, trying to survive in the situation. The olive blossoms have already begun to open, and pollen circulates in abundance, suspended in our air.

It is still too early to predict what is to come, but logically what happened last year could happen: due to the lack of strength of the tree, given the little or no humidity in the soil, it could lead it to abort most of what it is showing us now. We can already see some of the weft taking on a yellowish-ochre colour (it will not open), a symptom of the tree's exhaustion. Now, we can only wait for reality to manifest itself a few days ahead. Let's hope it surprises us once again, and is able to bring to fruition a good part of the sample it has to offer.

We, for our part, continue to attend to the phytosanitary care of organic production and the soil (for us, the soil is a very essential part of olive growing). The vegetation cover has also been affected by the situation, and has remained green for a short time. Almost all of it has been converted into pasture. The soils are gullied and cracked as if it were August. All the natural processes are moving forward: just look at last year's publication and you will see that the process has moved forward by almost a month. We could say that this year is more correlated with the year 2021 (see article on the year 2021).

We will suffer as the days go by, seeing what has to come (...high temperatures are predicted for the next few days). Now, the good thing is that we share this suffering with all of you: those of you who follow and read this blog.

We will continue to keep you informed.

See you soon!

MERGAOLIVA family.

Lahiguera a 24 de abril de 2023.

Juan José Mercado Gavilán.