Giorgio Panelli, 44 years of olive and oil experience behind him and over 300 scientific and popular publications, has always considered the olive tree a sincere travel companion. With whom to share mutual interests: those of the plant are to express its productive potential, those of the olive grower to harvest olives quickly and easily. In order to do this, pruning plays a central role, because the olive tree grows like a large bush with the most efficient foliage both from a vegetative and productive point of view, but being the furthest from the ground it is the most inconvenient for the producer. So we need to make sure that the most efficient part is transferred to the bottom, so that pruning and harvesting become easier.
Pruning of the olive grove in progress, prof. George Panels. How much longer can we go on taking into account a temperature that is growing, also due to the climate changes underway?
"As long as the plant keeps its metabolism still, which happens when the temperature at night remains steadily below 7,5 °C, preferably around 3-4 degrees. StiI love the phase in which the olive tree sets aside the reserve substances produced in the periphery in the large woody structures of the crown and roots, so that we can eliminate branches without incurring the risk of vegetative growth and damage from the cold.
Is it worth mentioning how to make cuts correctly?
"It never hurts to remember that. The cuts must be made in compliance with the specific healing methods of the olive tree: this species does not heal wounds by producing a healing callus like apple, pear, walnut, etc. The olive tree uses a strategy based on the death of the underlying tissue layer the cut followed by the formation of compartmentalization barriers in all directions using the widely available phenolic and tannic substances (energetically very expensive), to prevent the fungi from penetrating inside the plant. For this, a small margin must be left between the branch that is cut and the one on which it rested. And above all, no mastic, for heaven's sake".
You are a lover of the polyconic vase. Where does this belief come from?
"Because the polyconic vase training system remains, to date, the best possible compromise between the physiological needs of the olive tree and the economic needs of the producer. The reasoning is simple and starts from the foliage/roots relationship: it is a volumetric relationship to be kept unaltered if possible, otherwise there is an imbalance between vegetative activity, which would tend to prevail, and productive activity, which would tend to succumb. AAgain, the plant uses the natural apexes to exercise apical dominance with which it organizes and controls the activity of the entire crown. It is necessary to keep a part of the upper portion of the crown to avoid an immediate attempt to restore it in the event of topping or pollarding. In this way the plant will see its primary need to produce abundant fruit satisfied, as will the producer who, by limiting the activity of the upper portion of the crown in favor of the lower portion full of fruiting branches, now better supplied and illuminated, will see low natural production potential. All without ever again resorting to drastic pruning (reform) practicing, instead, simple annual maintenance pruning which will allow you to operate at an average rate of just 10 minutes per plant".
Banned mechanization?
"The real saving is not in the car, but in competence and culture. No extra costs and a quantitatively and qualitatively better production: I have direct experience of hectares of Coratina in the north of Bari which give from 250 to 150 quintals per hectare depending on the year of loading or unloading”.
