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<pre>Dear All

Iam sur that within the next 50years all will be revealed as to the
olive varieties. I was looking in our glass house today and I saw the
roundest biggest green olives on a Corregiolla! Sounds like the
Manzanillo has hit again!

When growing olives

¥ the parameters are well defined
¥ specific varieties have been selected from experience in particular
climates

Assuming true to type, disease free varieties are available (there are
current problems in these areas), then matching climates can be found
with traditional growing areas.

In principle a cool (wet) winter (chill factor) with a long dry summer.
The cool aspects can be determined from long term climatic averages.
Where there is little winter rain then irrigation or dryland techniques
are used. The effects of summer rain on fruit and oil quality let alone
physiological effects on the tree require further investigation. This
type of research is being undertaken near Gatton Queensland.

The conditions of western and southern Australia are more like the
traditional Mediterranean climate - here valuable research is being
undertaken through the NOVA trial in South Australia. In Western
Australia we are conducting a 6 variety trial accross many growing
regions and conditions but not ones with summer rain.

Getting to the point the industry for one reason or another is moving
faster than the research capacity - all this takes time and money.

A short cut - stage one is to find homoclimes (similar to your growing
region in major olive growing regions around the a Mediterranean) and
plant the best olive varieties in that region or country. These
varieties may not be the Tuscany varieties, but Tunisian or Turkish
varieties).

For example in Western Australia
¥ Coastal areas north of Perth - have climates similar to Crete, Sicily,
Turkey, but not necessarily like Spain
¥ Cooler southern areas have climates similar to Tuscany and Perugia
¥ Drier areas 300-400km north of Perth have climates like Lebanon in
some way but do not have the effect of large mountain ranges

When I was in Thessaloniki (a relatively cool area of Greece) recently -
I saw some of the best Kalamata olives equally as good as those from the
Kalamata region. So through R&D one can get to these outcomes, but it
takes time.

In the meantime - some frustration prevails. The Olive industry can be
conceptualised as:

¥ Olive growing
¥ Olive processing
¥ Olive marketing

So unless one has the proven experience in one or more of these areas,
then many will be led up the wrong path.

Stan Kailis
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