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<pre>I admire people who are able to predict that the olive harvest in
November will have higher acidity and lower yields. I think they are talking
nonsense as it is much too early to tell.

Major weather events in Italy have been a dry autumn and winter but we
could easily catch up in the spring. There has been a lot of cold weather
but not a great deal of frost damage. Again the frost period is not over so
we could still have problems on that front.

Other parts of the Mediterranean have had totally different weather
patterns. The Eastern half has had well above average rainfall. Lots of snow
and I don't know about frost damage.

Cheers Brian Chatterton
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<pre>Brian

Speaking of olive yields in 2002. We are starting a research project to look at
the effects of harvest timing and deficit irrigation on harvestability, yield
and quality characteristics of several oil varities in southern NSW. One of the
things we want to measure is detachment force. You have mentioned several times
the use of detachment force meters as a management tool to help assess optimal
harvest time in Italy. Could you give me the name of a supplier or manufacturer
of these instruments, or could you supply them?

Damian Conlan
NSW Agriculture

damian.conlan@agric.nsw.gov.au
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