The concerns expressed by prof. Richard Gucci the effects of the heat wave that hit our country are fully confirmed in Puglia, the main olive-growing region where downward estimates are being reckoned with.
Assoprol Bari, one of the largest olive POs in the region with about 12 members and 30 hectares of olive groves largely in the provinces of Bari and Bat, but with spikes also in the Foggiano, Tarantino and Brindisino, expects a reduction in production compared to last year due to the strong flow of flowers.
Giacomo Carreras, agronomist and technical manager (in the picture), analyzes the situation as follows: “The flowering was abundant, then the high temperatures and low humidity are creating extremely difficult conditions for a profitable fruit set. We also pay for a mistake that is repeated over time, namely that of not irrigating even those lands where there are plants. We always tend to wait for the formation of the drupe, when instead it is from the floral apparatus that everything develops. Sustaining the best floral structure with adequate water supply is critical. We have installed several weather stations in some more virtuous companies and we find full confirmation of the beneficial effects that the water support, albeit reduced, compared to the actual evapotranspiration requests, offers precisely in the flowering phase to trigger the best fruit set process and consequent drupe formation " .
Without venturing into predictions that are difficult to make at the moment, the feeling is that the next olive growing campaign in Puglia will be lower than last year's, which was considered discreet in any case, with a production that is assumed to be patchy among the various areas.
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