Figure 5 – New varieties resistant to olive verticillium wilt parents with some level of resistance to the disease (León and De la Rosa, 2022). These new varieties have been registered as particularly recommended in areas at high risk of verticillium wilt (Figure 5). As in Spain, in other olive-producing countries, such as Italy, Israel, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey, new varieties resulting from breeding different varieties. Testing in this regard is limited, so recommendations should be interpreted with caution, particularly when comparing varieties that have not been tested under the same experimental conditions. Breeding work will undoubtedly be an ongoing endeavour in the future, in response to the sector’s diverse needs. Thus, for example, the emergence or worsening of various plant health problems, the threats arising from different climate change scenarios and the growing focus on organic farming systems highlight the importance of having new plant material with improved characteristics. Against this backdrop of climate change, it will also become increasingly necessary for the olive groves of the future to be based on multivarietal plantations, particularly on medium-sized or large-scale farms. Given that all varieties will have their respective advantages and programmes have recently been registered, although they have seen little or no international dissemination. A point of particular interest to bear in mind with these Against this backdrop of climate change, it will become increasingly necessary for the olive groves of the future to be based on multi-varietal plantations… disadvantages, the use of different varieties on the same farm will enable us to diversify the risk in the face of an unpredictable climate scenario. varieties is the need for extensive experimentation prior to their commercial release. Experience from previous cases involving new varieties – not only of the olive tree but also of other fruit trees – suggests that the introduction of these new varieties should take place gradually, with due caution and by assessing their adaptation to the different conditions they will encounter. Studies carried out in recent years at IFAPA highlight the complexity of characterising an olive variety in terms of specific levels of productivity, fat content or olive oil composition. Although these characteristics are undoubtedly influenced by genetics (inherent to the variety), they vary greatly depending on environmental conditions. This necessitates local trials over a sufficiently long period to determine which variety is best suited to specific environmental conditions and to identify any potential limitations to the cultivation of the In short, the emergence of new, modern varieties better adapted to overcoming the current challenges facing agriculture will be a very important tool for increasing the current profitability of olive farms and ensuring their longterm sustainability. Advisory and digitalisation Currently, agriculture in general, and the olive sector in particular, are undergoing a veritable technological revolution with the implementation of the latest advances in sensors and digitalisation (Parra-López et al., 2021). These advances have been accelerated by two key factors: the emergence of new, advanced, low-cost sensors and the development of new connectivity systems. As regards advances in the field of sensors, the latest generation goes far beyond traditional sensors for 44 CULTIVAR ANALYSIS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDIES No. 35 Olive groves and olive oil
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