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Olive trees constitute one of the largest agroindustries in the Mediterranean area, and their cultivation generates a diverse pool of biomass by-products such as olive tree pruning (OTP), olive leaves (OL), olive stone (OS), and extracted olive pomace (EOP). These lignocellulosic materials have varying compositions and potential utilization strategies within a biorefinery context. The aim of this work was to carry out an integral analysis of the aqueous extractives fraction of these biomasses. Several analytical methods were applied in order to fully characterize this fraction to varying extents: a mass closure of &gt, 80% was reached for EOP, &gt, 76% for OTP, &gt, 65% for OS, and &gt, 52% for OL. Among the compounds detected, xylooligosaccharides, mannitol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol, and hydroxytyrosol were noted as potential enhancers of the valorization of said by-products. The extraction of these compounds is expected to be more favorable for OTP, OL, and EOP, given their high extractives content, and is compatible with other utilization strategies such as the bioconversion of the lignocellulosic fraction into biofuels and bioproducts.

Efficient water management in agricultural sector necessitates the manipulation of all possible options for water supply and demand management methods. The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of using natural volcanic tuff as a soil mulching on plant and soil properties under different water levels. The experiments were performed using 1-year-old olive transplants planted in barrels filled with silty clay soil. Half of the barrels were covered with a coarse volcanic tuff, while the other samples were remained without covering and considered as control. The two sets of barrels were irrigated with four levels of water which correspond to 75%, 65%, 55%, and 45% of the field capacity. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results revealed that plant height, number of branches, trunk diameter, shoots length, shoot diameter, number of leaves, and plant weight for soil covered with volcanic tuff were significantly greater than control plants after the fifth growing season. The leaf water potential and relative water content of plants grown in mulched soil were significantly greater than those of control. An increase in nutrient contents of soil and plant tissues was found as a result of soil amendment with volcanic tuff. In summary, a positive influence of volcanic tuff additions on olive growth, leaves water status, and soil nutrient levels was determined.

Introduction Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is a pathogenic bacterium that causes diseases in olive trees. Therefore, analytical methods for both the characterisation of the host/pathogen interaction and infection monitoring are needed. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted by plants relate to their physiological state, therefore VOCs monitoring can assist in detecting stress or infection states before visible signs are present. Objective In this work, the headspace-solid phase microextraction-gaschromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) technique was used for the first time to highlight VOCs differences between healthy and Xf-infected olive trees. Methodology VOCs from olive tree twig samples were extracted and analysed by HS-SPME-GC-MS, and hence identified by comparing the experimental linear retention indexes with the reference values and by MS data obtained from NIST library. Data were processed by principal component analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results The HS-SPME step was optimised in terms of adsorbent phase and extraction time. HS-SPME-GC-MS technique was applied to the extraction and analysis of VOCs of healthy and Xf-infected olive trees. More than 100 compounds were identified and the differences between samples were evidenced by the multivariate analysis approach. The results showed the marked presence of methyl esters in Xf-infected samples, suggesting their probable involvement in the mechanism of diffusible signal factor. Conclusion The proposed approach represents an easy and solvent-free method to evaluate the presence of Xf in olive trees, and to evidence volatiles produced by host/pathogen interactions that could be involved in the defensive mechanism of the olive tree and/or in the infective action of Xf.

Olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS) is a dangerous plant disease, caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which targets olive (Olea europaea). Since field observations suggested that some olive cultivars (i.e. Leccino) were more resistant to OQDS than others (i.e. Cellina di Nardò), the plant defense strategies adopted by olive to contrast X. fastidiosa infection were investigated. In the present study, ELISA and genetic approaches were used to confirm plant infection, while microbial colonization mechanism and distribution in host plant tissues and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were examined by light, scanning electron and confocal microscopy analyses. Spectrophotometric and chromatographic techniques were performed to measure secondary metabolites content and qPCR assay was carried out for monitoring plant gene expression variation. Our analysis showed that X. fastidiosa caused accumulation of ROS in Leccino samples compared to Cellina di Nardò. Moreover, the infection induced the up-regulation of defense-related genes, such as NADPH oxidase, some protein kinases, pathogen plant response factors and metabolic enzymes. We also found that Leccino plants enhanced the production of specific antioxidant and antimicrobial molecules, to fight the pathogen and avoid its spreading into xylem vessels. We provided new information on OQDS resistance mechanism applied by Leccino cultivar. In particular, we evidenced that high concentrations of ROS, switching on plant defence signalling pathways, may represent a key factor in fighting X. fastidiosa infection.

The “Land of pyres”, namely “La Terra dei Fuochi”, is an area of Campania region (South-Italy), highly inhabited and comprises between the Provinces of Naples and Caserta, sadly known worldwide for the criminal activities related to the illegal waste disposal and burning. These fires, concomitantly with traffic emissions, might be the source of potential toxic element (PTE) dangerous for the human health and causing pathologies. In the framework of Correlation Health–Environment project, funded by the Campania region, eight municipalities (of area “Land of pyres”) and three remote sites have been bio-monitored using the olive (Olea europaea L.) plants as biomonitors. Leaves of olive plants were collected in each assayed municipality and the concentration of 11 metal(loid)s was evaluated by means of ICP-OES. Our findings revealed that the air of these municipalities was limitedly contaminated by PTE; in fact, only Sb, Al and Mn were detected in the olive leaves collected in some of the assayed municipalities and showed a high enrichment factors (EC) manly due, probably, to the vehicular traffic emissions. Furthermore, the concentrations of the other assayed PTEs were lower than those of Sb, Al and Mn. For these reasons we suppose that their emissions in the troposphere have been and are limited, and they mainly have a crustal origin. Even if our data are very comforting for those urban area, regarded by many as one of the most contaminated one in Italy, a great environment care, in any case, is always needed.

Olive tree growing is an important economic activity in many countries, mostly in the Mediterranean Basin, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and California. Although recent intensification techniques organize olive groves in hedgerows, most olive groves are rainfed and the trees are scattered (as in Spain and Italy, which account for 50% of the world’s olive oil production). Accurate measurement of trees biovolume is a first step to monitor their performance in olive production and health. In this work, we use one of the most accurate deep learning instance segmentation methods (Mask R-CNN) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) images for olive tree crown and shadow segmentation (OTCS) to further estimate the biovolume of individual trees. We evaluated our approach on images with different spectral bands (red, green, blue, and near infrared) and vegetation indices (normalized difference vegetation index—NDVI—and green normalized difference vegetation index—GNDVI). The performance of red-green-blue (RGB) images were assessed at two spatial resolutions 3 cm/pixel and 13 cm/pixel, while NDVI and GNDV images were only at 13 cm/pixel. All trained Mask R-CNN-based models showed high performance in the tree crown segmentation, particularly when using the fusion of all dataset in GNDVI and NDVI (F1-measure from 95% to 98%). The comparison in a subset of trees of our estimated biovolume with ground truth measurements showed an average accuracy of 82%. Our results support the use of NDVI and GNDVI spectral indices for the accurate estimation of the biovolume of scattered trees, such as olive trees, in UAV images., Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) 19-01-00215 20-07-00370, European Research Council (ERC) European Commission 647038, Spanish Government RYC-2015-18136, Consejeria de Economia, Conocimiento y Universidad de la Junta de Andalucia P18-RT-1927, DETECTOR A-RNM-256-UGR18, European Research and Development Funds (ERDF) program

Olive (Olea europaea L.) resources in Algeria are very little investigated. In fact, a total of 60 denominations have been the subject of characterization studies and they are cited in the bibliography but only 36 varieties are described and listed in the catalog of Algerian varieties of olive tree. In this work, a study on the diversity by mean of a field survey followed by morphological characterization, an estimate of the Shannon diversity index of a set of denominations collected in central and eastern of Algeria were carried out. The survey allowed us to note the existence of 33 denominations never mentioned in the bibliography. Morphological characterization based on the characteristics of tree, fruit and endocarp allowed us to a morphological description of 23 denominations. The Principal Component Analysis, Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Ascending Hierarchical Classification analysis allowed us to classify them into a few groups. The value of the relative diversity of all denominations is slightly below the average (0.42). The results obtained in this work provide very useful information on certain morphological characteristics of the studied denominations and indicate the critical conditions in which several denominations are found, which constitutes a great risk of genetic erosion.

Correction in: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2020, vol 131, pg 356, WOS:000608399700017.; International audience; Cultivated plants usually differ from their wild progenitors in several morphological and/or physiological traits. Their microbe communities might also differ because of adaptation to new conditions related to cultivation. To test this hypothesis, we investigated morphological traits in a parthenogenetic root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) from natural and agricultural environments. Seventeen populations of M. javanica were sampled on cultivated and wild olives in Morocco, then maintained in controlled conditions for a ‘common garden’ experiment. We estimated the genetic variation based on three traits (stylet size, neck width and body width) by a quantitative genetic design (ten families per population and nine individuals per family were measured), and molecular variation was investigated with a mitochondrial marker to identify the genetic lineages of nematode isolates sampled from wild and cultivated olives. Significant morphological differences were detected between individuals from wild vs. cultivated hosts for the three traits, whereas no phylogenetic clustering was observed among isolates collected on those two hosts. Our results thus suggest an adaptive response of the asexual parasite, possibly related to the deep modification of soil nematode communities between natural olive stands and orchards.

The effects of climate change on agricultural systems raise important uncertainties about the future productivity and suitability of crops, especially in areas suffering from intense environmental changes. Olive groves occupy Mediterranean areas characterized by seasonal temporary droughts, which cause this cultivation to be highly dependent on local microclimatic conditions. Olive crop production can be reliably estimated using pollen intensity metrics together with post-pollination environmental conditions. In this study, we applied this kind of statistics-based models to identify the most relevant meteorological variables during the post-pollination periods for olive fruit production. Olive pollen time-series for the period of 1999&ndash, 2012 was analyzed in 16 Italian provinces. Minimum and maximum temperature during spring and summer (March&ndash, August) showed a negative relationship with olive production, while precipitation always showed a positive correlation. The increase in aridity conditions observed in areas of Italy during the summer represents an important risk of decreasing olive crop production. The effect of climate change on the olive production trend is not clear because of the interactions between human and environmental factors, although some areas might show an increase in productivity in the near future under different climate change scenarios. However, as more drastic changes in temperature or precipitation take place, the risk to olive production will be considerably greater.

To tolerate water shortage and high temperature, olive cv. ‘Meski’, the main variety of table olives in Tunisia, developed several biochemical changes. The hereby study focused on the adaptation of the olive tree to the climatic conditions, considering the evaluation of phenolic compounds, chlorophylls, carotenoids, saponin and steroid synthesis, as well as the evaluation of the antioxidant activity. The analyses were made upon fresh leaves collected from three coastal areas of Tunisia (North (sub-humid), center (higher semi-arid) and South (lower arid)) and using different leaves’ extracts. The results emphasized that Southern ‘Meski’ trees had leaves with more polyphenols, flavonoids, o-diphenols and tannins compared with the Northern ones. From the North to the South, ‘Meski’ leaves showed an increase of carotenoids and a decrease of chlorophyll a and b contents. The highest level of antioxidant compounds of Southern leaves could be contributed to reduce the oxidative stress of the olive tree. The spectrophotometric analysis of the antioxidant capacity of leaves collected from central and Southern areas, based on DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activity, showed a higher value of antioxidant activity than the Northern ones, at different extract concentrations. Therefore, the increase of the analyzed bioactive compounds can be considered as a response of the tree to surround aggressions and to oppose the oxidative stress that results from the severity of climatic conditions, characteristic of the Southern area.

Few studies have reported the relationship between wild (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. sylvestris) and cultivated (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. europaea) olive trees by using diverse markers. Herein, the amino and fatty acids composition of stones from wild and cultivated olives were assessed respectively using amino acids analyzer and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Stones of 24 Tunisian olive samples including twelve cultivated trees and twelve wild trees were obtained from olives harvested at ripe stage. Results showed that 17 amino acids (with eight essential amino acids) and 15 fatty acids (eight saturated and seven unsaturated) were detected in the both olive taxa. Statistically, significant differences among wild and cultivated stones were observed for amino and fatty acids contents. Based on the major fatty acids and the essential amino acids, multivariate analyses classified olive varieties into three groups showing a close relationship between some wild and cultivated olive trees. Results were useful to distinguish some interest wild olive genotypes having stones richer in essential amino acids and monounsaturated fatty acids. Wild olive trees would constitute a genetic pool of interest criteria. These data would be used as complementary tool to morphological traits and molecular markers studies providing a relationship between the cultivated and wild olive trees.

Life Cycle Assessment (the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle), Carbon Footprint and Water Footprint assessments play an important role in decision-making processes. These assessments can help guide land management decisions and will likely play a larger role in the future, especially in natural areas with high biodiversity. Agriculture is a substantial consumer of fresh water, so it is important to identify causes and possible solutions to optimize agricultural water use. Water footprint assessments consider water consumption from several points of view and aid in reaching Sustainable Development Goals. Olive trees are a widespread agricultural crop growing in the Mediterranean Basin and are particularly important in the Umbria region in Italy. This paper estimates the water footprint impact related to the production of 1 kg of olives in a rainfed olive orchard managed using low environmental impact techniques. Eleven years of data collection (meteorological data, olives yield data, processes data) are analyzed for typical rural conditions. The results show that local management techniques have lower water requirements than standard international usages. These results can be used to improve and to further explore agricultural water use.

Numerous studies have documented the distribution of plant and animal communities with respect to spatial structure; however, relatively little is known about the involvement of spatial structures in the diversity of soil organisms such as plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN). Host plants such as olive trees are of particular interest because they host a large number of PPN and have a high economic and cultural importance. In this study, we investigated how different aspects of the environment (i.e. the factors soil, above-ground environment, and agricultural management) and spatial structure shaped the variation of species composition (expressed as beta diversity) and species richness of plant-parasitic nematodes infesting the soil rhizosphere in 376 commercial olive orchards in the south of Spain. We used variation partitioning to assess the relative importance of the unique and shared contributions of the factors describing the environment and spatial structure. To identify sites and species of particular interest, we partitioned beta diversity into local and species contributions. Contrary to our expectation that soil and agricultural management would largely determine the community structure of PPN, more than two-thirds of the variation remained unexplained. Spatial structure and soil were the most important factors shaping species richness and beta diversity. Surprisingly, the effects of agricultural management on species richness were lower than expected, and null [or nonexistent, or nonsignificant] on beta diversity. We found relatively high levels of shared contributions of the different factors, especially in combination with spatial structure, indicating the presence of spatial gradients of the variables describing the environmental factors. Species contributions to beta diversity (SCBD) were positively correlated with nematode prevalence and density range; thus, SCBD could be related to the niche position as reported in other ecosystems. Local contributions to beta diversity (LCBD) were mainly related with habitat filtering mechanisms (e.g. soil physiochemical and agronomic management predictors), suggesting a relationship between nematode total biomass and ecological gradients. Overall, we revealed novel insights into the spatial structure of PPN communities and showed that its beta diversity is less structured by spatial and environmental factors compared to other organism types., This research was supported by grant AGL2012-37521 from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain, grant 219262 ArimNET-ERANET FP7 2012-2015 Project PESTOLIVE and grant P12AGR 1486 Consejería de Economía, Innvovación y Ciencia of the Junta de Andalucía, and Union Europea, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo regional, ‘Una manera de hacer Europa’. A. Archidona-Yuste was a recipient of research contract BES-2013063495 from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain; and at present is a recipient of Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.

Research Highlights: This paper compares the thermal requirements in three different olive-growing areas in the Mediterranean region (Toledo, central Spain, Lecce, southeastern Italy, Chaal, central Tunisia). A statistical method using a partial least square regression for daily temperatures has been applied to study the chilling and heat requirements over a continuous period. Background and Objectives: The olive is one of the main causes of pollen allergy for the population of Mediterranean cities. The physiological processes of the reproductive cycle that governs pollen emission are associated with temperature, and thermal requirements strongly regulate the different phases of the plant&rsquo, s life cycle. However, the point when several specific processes occur&mdash, Such as the phases within the dormancy period&mdash, Is unclear, and the transition between endodormancy and ecodormancy is not easily distinguishable from an empirical point of view. This work focuses on defining the thermal accumulation periods related to the temperature balance needed to meet the chilling and heat requirements for the metabolic activation and budbreak in olive trees. Results and Conclusions: Thermal accumulation patterns in olive trees are strongly associated with the bioclimatic conditions of olive-growing areas, and the olive flowering start dates showed significant differences between the three studied stations. Our results show that the chilling requirements were fulfilled between late autumn and early winter, although the chilling accumulation period was more evident in the coldest and most continental bioclimatic areas (central Spain). The heat accumulation period (forcing period) was clearly defined and showed a close relationship with the timing of olive flowering. Heat requirements were therefore used to generate accurate forecasting models to predict the beginning of the olive bloom and subsequent olive pollen emission. A forecasting model considering both the chilling and heat requirements was generated in Toledo, where the estimated days displayed an error of 2.0 &plusmn, 1.8 days from the observed dates. For Lecce, the error was 2.7 &plusmn, 2.5 days and for Chaal, 4.2 &plusmn, 2.4 days.

Olive orchards, rainfed managed, are threatened by the current and predicted adverse environmental conditions, which change the yield and quality of olive products, largely known for its benefits to human health. To mitigate these problems, it is highly recommended to perform some adjustments in agronomic practices, such as the use of foliar sprays that cloud help the trees to cope with climate change. During two consecutive years, olive trees were pre-harvest sprayed with kaolin (KL) and salicylic acid (SA) to attenuate the adverse effects of summer stress. Olive yield was increased by 97% and 72% with KL and SA, respectively. Phenolics and antioxidant capacity of both olives and olive oil increased and decreased in the first and second year, respectively, in a closely association with the prevailing climatic conditions. The foliar sprays did not significantly affect the oil quality indices, free acidity, peroxide value and K232 coefficient and decreased the K270 coefficient. This study strongly suggests that the applied products might be effective in mitigating the adverse environmental conditions, without substantial changes in fruit and olive oil quality. Doctoral fellowship under the Doctoral Program “Agricultural Production Chains – from fork to farm” (PD/00122/2012) provided by the FCT-Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology to C. Brito (PD/BD/ 52543/2014). Institution CITAB, for its financial support through the European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/POCI– Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Program, under Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958 and National Funds by FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/AGR/04033/2013. INTERACT project - "Integrative Research in Environment, Agro-Chains and Technology", no. NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-000017, in its lines of research entitled ISAC, co-financied by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through NORTE 2020 (North Regional Operational Program 2014/2020). info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

WOS: 000401456800018, PubMed ID: 28017541, The purpose of this study was to investigate the production of flavor compounds from olive mill waste by microbial fermentation of Rhizopus oryzae and Candida tropicalis. Olive mill waste fermentations were performed in shake and bioreactor cultures. Production of flavor compounds from olive mill waste was followed by Gas Chromatography Mass spectrometry, Gas chromatography- olfactometry and Spectrum Sensory Analysis. As a result, 1.73-log and 3.23-log cfu/mL increases were observed in the microbial populations of R. oryzae and C. tropicalis during shake cultures, respectively. C. tropicalis can produce a higher concentration of n-limonene from olive mill waste than R. oryzae in shake cultures. The concentration of n-limonene was determined as 185.56 and 249.54 mu g/kg in the fermented olive mill waste by R. oryzae and C. tropicalis in shake cultures respectively. In contrast, R. oryzae can produce a higher concentration of n-limonene (87.73 mu g/kg) n-limonene than C. tropicalis (11.95 mu g/kg) in bioreactor cultures. Based on sensory analysis, unripe olive, wet towel, sweet aromatic, fermented aromas were determined at high intensity in olive mill waste fermented with R. oryzae meanwhile olive mill waste fermented with C. tropicalis had only a high intensity of unripe olive and oily aroma. (C) 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda., Scientific and Technological Council of Turkey (TUBITAK, Ankara Turkey)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [1100903 COST], This study was funded by The Scientific and Technological Council of Turkey (TUBITAK, Ankara Turkey; Project No. 1100903 COST). The authors would like to thank Bioflavour COST Action FA0907 for technical supporting of this scientific work.

In this study, following the pre-treatment of olive mill wastewater (OMW), its treatment in a jet loop membrane bioreactor (ILMBR) was investigated. Among the pre-treatment options, the configuration composed of physical settling, cartridge filter and ceramic membrane showed the best performance in terms of investigated parameters. For the JLMBR that was fed by pretreated OMW, up to 93 and 87% removal efficiencies were achieved for the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total phenol, respectively, at volumetric organic load (VOL) of 17.8 kg COD/m(3) day. The calculated specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) values were in the range 7.7-34.7 g O-2/kg MLVSS h. When even hydraulic retention times (HRT) values decreased by a factor of 1:24, system performance in terms of COD and total phenol removal remained almost stable. Decreasing the sludge retention time (SRT) to three days made considerable perturbations for the system performance, increasing the effluent COD and total phenol values in 900 and 80 mg/L, respectively. The JLMBR showed a high overall performance for the treatment of an actual OMW under the evaluated operational conditions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanical parameters of the olive wood plate have been computed by data inversion of vibrational experimental tests. A numerical-experimental method has allowed the evaluation of the two transverse shear moduli and the four in-plane moduli of a thick orthotropic olive tree plate. Therefore, the natural flexural vibration frequencies of olive trees plates have been evaluated by the impulse technique. For our purposes, we define the objective function as the difference between the numerical computation data and the experimental ones. The Levenberg&ndash, Marquardt algorithm was chosen as optimization strategy in order to minimize the matching error: the evaluation of the objective function has required a complete finite element simulation by using the ANSYS code. As input, we have used the uniaxial test data results obtained from the olive plates. The converged elastic moduli with n = 10 natural modes were E1 = 14.8 GPa, E2 = 1.04 GPa, G12 = 4.45 GPa, G23 = 4.02 GPa, G13 = 4.75 GPa, &nu, 12 = 0.42, and &nu, 13 = 0.42. The relative root mean square (RMS) errors between the experimental frequencies and the computed one is 9.40%. Then, it has been possible to obtain a good agreement between the measured and calculated frequencies. Therefore, it has been found that for plates of moderate thickness the reliability of the estimated values of the transverse shear moduli is good.

The Mediterranean basin is especially sensitive to the adverse outcomes of climate change and especially to variations in rainfall patterns and the incidence of extremely high temperatures. These two concurring adverse environmental conditions will surely have a detrimental effect on crop performance and productivity that will be particularly severe on woody crops such as citrus, olive and grapevine that define the backbone of traditional Mediterranean agriculture. These woody species have been traditionally selected for traits such as improved fruit yield and quality or alteration in harvesting periods, leaving out traits related to plant field performance. This is currently a crucial aspect due to the progressive and imminent effects of global climate change. Although complete genome sequence exists for sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and clementine (Citrus clementina), olive tree (Olea europaea) and grapevine (Vitis vinifera), the development of biotechnological tools to improve stress tolerance still relies on the study of the available genetic resources including interspecific hybrids, naturally occurring (or induced) polyploids and wild relatives under field conditions. To this respect, post-genomic era studies including transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics provide a wide and unbiased view of plant physiology and biochemistry under adverse environmental conditions that, along with high-throughput phenotyping, could contribute to the characterization of plant genotypes exhibiting physiological and/or genetic traits that are correlated to abiotic stress tolerance. The ultimate goal of precision agriculture is to improve crop productivity, in terms of yield and quality, making a sustainable use of land and water resources under adverse environmental conditions using all available biotechnological tools and high-throughput phenotyping. This review focuses on the current state-of-the-art of biotechnological tools such as high throughput –omics and phenotyping on grapevine, citrus and olive and their contribution to plant breeding programs.

In conventional olive growing, frequent soil tillage strongly reduces the complexity and diversity of the agro-ecosystem. Here, a metabolomic analysis was carried out on the xylem sap (XS) of olive plants (Olea europaea L.) from a grove located in Southern Italy (Basilicata region). The orchard has been divided in two plots that have been managed for 18 years with two different systems: a) ‘sustainable management’ (Smng), with no-tillage, fertigation and internal C-inputs (spontaneous weeds and pruning residues), and b) an adjacent rainfed ‘conventional management’ (Cmng), that included soil tillage and mineral fertilization. The XS was extracted from olive shoots in two sampling times (ST1: May; ST2: October) using a Sholander pressure chamber, and its metabolome analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to a hybrid quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (QTOF-MS). The discriminating compounds were 94 at ST1 and 119 at ST2, and 35 of them were in common between the two sampling times. The majority of the discriminating metabolites (73 on 94 at ST1, and 109 on 119 at ST2) were found at higher concentration in the XS of Smng plants, compared to that of Cmng ones. Most of the discriminating metabolites found in XS (about 80%, both at ST1 and ST2) were involved in plant secondary metabolism, mainly for plant chemical defense, growth regulation and signal transduction. The most prevailing class of compounds included terpenoids, phytohormones, alkaloids, sterols/steroids, retinols/retinoids, tocopherols and carotenoids. For the first time, we have demonstrated that the XS of a tree crop significantly responds to a shift of soil management. Generally, the plants of the Smng plot showed an up-regulated secondary metabolism. The results of our study encourage the use of a set of sustainable agricultural practices in a productive orchard, in order to enhance plant physiological status, increase yield quantity/quality, safeguard the environment and ameliorate human health.

The current standard for the field measurements of spray drift (ISO 22866) is the only official standard for drift measurements in field conditions for all type of crops, including bushes and trees. A series of field trials following all the requirements established in the standard were arranged in a traditional olive grove in Cordoba (south of Spain). The aims of the study were to evaluate the applicability of the current standard procedure to the particular conditions of traditional olive trees plantations, to evaluate the critical requirements for performing the tests and to obtain a specific drift curve for such as important and specific crop as olive trees in traditional plantations, considering the enormous area covered by this type of crop all around the world. Results showed that the field trials incur a very complex process due to the particular conditions of the crop and the very precise environmental requirements. Furthermore, the trials offered a very low level of repeatability as the drift values varied significantly from one spray application to the next, with the obtained results being closely related to the wind speed, even when considering the standard minimum value of 1 m·s−1. The collector's placement with respect to the position of the isolated trees was determined as being critical since this substantially modifies the ground deposit in the first 5 m. Even though, a new drift curve for olive trees in traditional plantation has been defined, giving an interesting tool for regulatory aspects. Conclusions indicated that a deep review of the official standard is needed to allow its application to the most relevant orchard/fruit crops.

Olive has a notable importance in countries of Mediterranean basin and its profitability depends on several factors such as actual yield, production cost or product price. Actual “on year” Yield (AY) is production (kg tree-1) in “on years”, and this research attempts to relate it with geometrical parameters of the tree canopy. Regression equation to forecast AY based on manual canopy volume was determined based on data acquired from different orchard categories and cultivars during different harvesting seasons in southern Spain. Orthoimages were acquired with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) imagery calculating individual crown for relating to canopy volume and AY. Yield levels did not vary between orchard categories; however, it did between irrigated orchards (7000–17,000 kg ha-1) and rainfed ones (4000–7000 kg ha-1). After that, manual canopy volume was related with the individual crown area of trees that were calculated by orthoimages acquired with UAS imagery. Finally, AY was forecasted using both manual canopy volume and individual tree crown area as main factors for olive productivity. AY forecast only by using individual crown area made it possible to get a simple and cheap forecast tool for a wide range of olive orchards. Finally, the acquired information was introduced in a thematic map describing spatial AY variability obtained from orthoimage analysis that may be a powerful tool for farmers, insurance systems, market forecasts or to detect agronomical problems.

Plant-parasitic nematodes are major pests in agriculture. Microbial antagonists such as nematophagous fungi are of great interest for developing alternative biocontrol strategies to replace nematicide use. This study aims to isolate, identify and assess the diversity and the in vitro predatory activity of nematophagous fungi from various olive nurseries in Morocco. A total of 305 soil samples were collected in 25 nurseries in Moroccan olive-producing areas (Jbala, Guerouane, Haouz and Souss). Seventy-three pure fungal strains from nematophagous fungi were recovered from nursery substrates infested with root-knot nematodes. Diversity indices showed that fungi were more numerous in southern regions, whereas fungal communities were more numerically alike in northern regions, partly depending on the occurrence of root-knot nematodes. One fungal strain, Talaromyces assiutensis , killed all Meloidogyne javanica juveniles during in vitro predation tests. Orbiliaceae ( Arthrobotrys spp., Drechslerella brochopaga , Monacrosporium spp.) trapped 50 to 80% of juveniles. Purpureocillium and Trichoderma species killed 30 to 50% of juveniles. The diversity of nematophagous communities could be affected by the north-south climate gradient of Morocco, by their nematode prey expansion, and, to a lesser extent, by the habitat origin of the substrates used. Talaromyces assiutensis was the most efficient nematophagous species against M. javanica . The use of native nematophagous fungi is a promising alternative strategy for nematode control in olive nurseries and to prevent nematode introduction into olive orchards.

UMR AGAP - équipe AFEF - Architecture et fonctionnement des espèces fruitières; This paper analyzes sociohistorical and biological factors that shape olive-oleaster agroecosystems (hereafter OOAs), in northern Morocco and their continuing roles in olive domestication, diversification and food security. Forests are cleared and oleasters (wild olive trees) are preserved by farmers for their valuable oil and for use as rootstocks to graft olive. This practice is among those that have shaped olive domestication in the Mediterranean region. It contributes to the creation of forest-based olive agroecosystems and favors olive intraspecific diversity that is highly adapted to heterogeneous mountain environments. Productions contribute to food security, short trade circuits, land tenure and cultural identity. Ethnobiological studies show a continuity of classification, naming and uses between selected oleaster types and olive varieties suggesting an ongoing domestication process. This is supported by genetic analyses which show a higher concentration of genotypes selected from seedlings that propagate through sexual propagation in OOAs as compared to areas where management of oleasters for oil and as rootstocks is absent. Photointerpretation of aerial images corroborated with field-based observations, show the impacts of exogenous projects since the French and Spanish Protectorate periods to contemporary projects of the state policy "Plan Maroc Vert." We discuss the importance of OOAs for the preservation of on-farm genetic resources, food security and as models for future agroecosystems within the context of climate change.

Fruit setting after self-pollination, crosses and free-pollination appears to be erratic in the cultivated olive tree [Olea europaea subsp europaea L. (O. e. europaea L.)] because of a lack of a suitable model to enable prediction of rates. The same lack of prediction also applies to the wild taxon Olea europaea subsp cuspidata (O. e. cuspidata). Because of their close phylogenetic relationships, we hypothesize that O. e. cuspidata and cultivated olive share the same self-incompatibility system. We used data recently published in a wide study involving four O. e. cuspidata accessions and four olive cultivars. Because the olive varieties have been deciphered for their S-allele pair, that infer determinants present in the stigma and pistil, and that coat the pollen, we deciphered the S-alleles carried by three of the O. e. cuspidata accessions. Data are too scarce and the number of accessions too small to speculate on the O. e. cuspidata genetic population structure. The working hypothesis is confirmed. This study and data from the Italian team will enable us to embark on a large-scale hybridization program between the two subsp. to obtain a wide range of progenies for screening for responses to cold, diseases and pests.

Background Xylella fastidiosa is a Gram-negative bacterium which lives in the xylem of plants, causing its occlusion and other alterations inducing eventually the death of the infected plants. In Salento, the sub-peninsula in the south-eastern of Apulia Region (southern Italy), the infection of X. fastidiosa has been associated with the widespread presence of CoDiRO (complex of parasitic agents that constitute the so-called “olive quick decline syndrome”) and currently represents a serious local emergence. The need to adopt specific agronomic measures to contrast the further disease spread has been recently raised. The extensive NMR-based metabolomic approach to study the metabolic effects of CoDiRO on local olive cultivars such as Ogliarola salentina and Cellina di Nardò was used. Results In this study, the effects of a CE approved fertilizer containing zinc, copper, and citric acid, known as DENTAMET®, on CoDiRO-exhibiting olive trees infected by X. fastidiosa were studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The changes in the metabolomic profiles of aqueous extracts obtained from leaves of the two olive cultivars are reported. Upon the DENTAMET® treatments, different and opposite polyphenolic and sugars patterns in the two cultivars, which showed a different incidence and severity of disease before the treatments, were detected. Conclusions Differences in the sugars and polyphenols content of treated versus untreated trees could potentially contribute to the syndrome monitoring and might be related to the X. fastidiosa presence. Graphical abstract Apulian (Salento) CoDiRO-exhibiting olive trees infected by X. fastidiosa have been studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Changes in the metabolomic profiles are reflected in different sugars and polyphenols content after DENTAMET®-treatment

Olea europaea L. subsp. laperrinei (Oleaceae) is an endemic taxon of the mountainous regions of central Sahara, consisting of currently fragmented and small relict populations. The tree can propagate vegetatively or by seed, but no recent natural regeneration was observed in the Algerian massive populations, some of which are considered threatened with extinction. Sterile triploid individuals were also identified in some populations showing increasing vigour. As a result of its long persistence and despite its rarity, the Laperrine's olive is an iconic component of Saharan mountain ecosystems. The aim of this study is to develop an efficient micropropagation protocol for both diploid and triploid Laperrine's olive to safeguard and preserve this genetic resource. Best shoot propagation was obtained on a modified Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 9.2 µM zeatin. Best rooting rate of regenerated shoots was achieved on the same culture medium supplemented with 4.8 µM indole-3-butyric acid. In absence of morphological changes of in vitro regenerated plants acclimatized to the greenhouse, genetic conformity was assessed by simple sequence repeat screening. Our results suggest that in vitro propagation could be a useful tool for conservation of both diploid and triploid threatened Laperrine's olive.

The effectiveness of experimental nets in preventing the access of adult meadow spittlebug Philaenus spumarius L., the main vector of Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. subspecies pauca, sequence type (ST) 53, in olive tree nurseries and orchards was evaluated. To optimize the net design, mesh size, kind of fabric, thread typology, and radiometric properties, six nets with different mesh sizes and kinds of fabric were evaluated in laboratory and in field experiments. Laboratory bioassays evaluating the capability of adult spittlebugs to pass through nets with different mesh sizes (1.2, 1.8, 2.4 mm) showed that all nets with a mesh size equal to or lower than 2.4 mm prevented insect crossing. These results were confirmed in field conditions using an experimental net box apparatus. Further laboratory tests showed a positive correlation between porosity and radiometric properties of the nets. Three prototypes of thermally stabilized flat woven nets made of circular cross-sectional yarns, knitted net with strips, and knitted nets made of yarns were tested after the evaluation of their potential usability in terms of porosity stability. The knitted net features were found to be the most suitable. The net transmissivity of the total and direct component of solar radiation in the photosynthetically active radiation and the infrared ranges increased with the net porosity. A prism-shaped wooden frame with a triangular base covered with the knitted net with a 2.4 mm mesh confirmed the insect’s capability of reaching considerable heights, up to 2.85 m. Hence, based on our results, the monowire knitted net with a 2.4 mm mesh can be used in open field nursery and olive orchards to prevent the access of P. spumarius adults and to shield the openings of greenhouse nurseries.

The olive tree is a plant of economic value for the oil of its drupe. It is a cultigen complex composed of genotypes with differences in cold-hardiness. About 90% of the oil is stored in oil bodies (OBs) in the drupe during the oleogenic phase. Phenols and lipids contribute to oil quality, but the unsaturated fatty acid (FA) fraction is emerging as the most important for quality, because of the very high content in oleic acid, the presence of ω6-linoleic acid and ω3-linolenic acid, and the very low saturated FA content. Another 10% of oil is produced by the seed. Differences in unsaturated FA-enriched lipids exist among seed coat, endosperm, and embryo. Olive oil quality is also affected by the environmental conditions during fruit growth and genotype peculiarities. Production of linoleic and α-linolenic acids, fruit growth, fruit and leaf responses to low temperatures, including cuticle formation, and cold-acclimation are related processes. The levels of unsaturated FAs are changed by FA-desaturase (FAD) activities, involving the functioning of chloroplasts and endoplasmic reticulum. Cold induces lipid changes during drupe and seed development, affecting FADs, but its effect is related to the genotype capability to acclimate to the cold.

Olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is an important crop in the Mediterranean Basin where drought and salinity are two of the main factors affecting plant productivity. Despite several studies have reported different responses of various olive tree cultivars to salt stress, the mechanisms that convey tolerance and sensitivity remain largely unknown. To investigate this issue, potted olive plants of Leccino (salt-sensitive) and Frantoio (salt-tolerant) cultivars were grown in a phytotron chamber and treated with 0, 60 and 120 mM NaCl. After forty days of treatment, growth analysis was performed and the concentration of sodium in root, stem and leaves was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Phenolic compounds were extracted using methanol, hydrolyzed with butanol-HCl, and quercetin and kaempferol quantified via high performance liquid-chromatography-electrospray-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI–MS) and HPLC-q-Time of Flight-MS analyses. In addition, the transcripts levels of five key genes of the phenylpropanoid pathway were measured by quantitative Real-Time PCR. The results of this study corroborate the previous observations, which showed that Frantoio and Leccino differ in allocating sodium in root and leaves. This study also revealed that phenolic compounds remain stable or are strongly depleted under long-time treatment with sodium in Leccino, despite a strong up-regulation of key genes of the phenylpropanoid pathway was observed. Frantoio instead, showed a less intense up-regulation of the phenylpropanoid genes but overall higher content of phenolic compounds. These data suggest that Frantoio copes with the toxicity imposed by elevated sodium not only with mechanisms of Na+ exclusion, but also promptly allocating effective and adequate antioxidant compounds to more sensitive organs.

International audience; Proline plays an important role in plant response to various environmental stresses. However, its involvement in mitigation of heavy metal stress in plants remains elusive. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of exogenous proline (10 and 20mM) in alleviating cadmium induced inhibitory effects in young olive plants (Olea europaea L. cv. Chemlali) exposed to two Cd levels (10 and 30mg CdCl2kg(-1) soil). The Cd treatment induced substantial accumulation of Cd in both root and leaf tissues and a decrease in gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments contents, uptake of essential elements (Ca, Mg and K) and plant biomass. Furthermore, an elevation of antioxidant enzymes activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxydase) and proline content in association with relatively high amounts of hydrogen peroxide, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and electrolyte leakage were observed. Interestingly, the application of exogenous proline alleviated the oxidative damage induced by Cd accumulation. In fact, Cd-stressed olive plants treated with proline showed an increase of antioxidant enzymes activities, photosynthetic activity, nutritional status, plant growth and oil content of olive fruit. Generally, it seems that proline supplementation alleviated the deleterious effects of young olive plants exposed to Cd stress

Molecular markers located in the genic regions of plants are valuable tools for the identification of candidate genes of economically important traits and consequent use in marker-assisted selection (MAS). In the past, simple sequence repeat markers (SSRs) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were developed by sequencing RNA derived from different plant tissues, which involves laborious RNA extraction, mRNA isolation, and cDNA synthesis. In order to develop SNP markers located in olive transcriptomes, we used the recently developed genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technique. An analysis was done for 125 olive DNA samples (123 DNA samples from a cross-pollinated F-1 mapping population, and two samples from parents). From 45 to 66% of Illumina reads from GBS analysis were aligned to the olive transcriptome. A total of 22,033 transcriptome-based SNP markers were identified, and 3384 of these were mapped in the olive genome. The genetic linkage map constructed in this study consists of 1 cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS), 19 SSR, and 3384 transcriptome-based SNP markers. The map covers 3340.8 cM of the olive genome in 23 linkage groups, with the length of the linkage groups ranging from 55.6 to 248.7 cM. Average map distance between flanking markers was 0.98 cM. This genetic linkage map is a saturated genetic map and will be a useful tool for the localization of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and gene(s) of interest and for the identification of candidate genes for economically important traits.

Insect dynamics depend on temperature patterns, and therefore, global warming may lead to increasing frequencies and intensities of insect outbreaks. The aim of this work was to analyze the dynamics of the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi), in Tuscany (Italy). We profited from long-term records of insect infestation and weather data available from the regional database and agrometeorological network. We tested whether the analysis of 13 years of monitoring campaigns can be used as basis for prediction models of B. oleae infestation. We related the percentage of infestation observed in the first part of the host-pest interaction and throughout the whole year to agrometeorological indices formulated for different time periods. A two-step approach was adopted to inspect the effect of weather on infestation: generalized linear model with a binomial error distribution and principal component regression to reduce the number of the agrometeorological factors and remove their collinearity. We found a consistent relationship between the degree of infestation and the temperature-based indices calculated for the previous period. The relationship was stronger with the minimum temperature of winter season. Higher infestation was observed in years following warmer winters. The temperature of the previous winter and spring explained 66 % of variance of early-season infestation. The temperature of previous winter and spring, and current summer, explained 72 % of variance of total annual infestation. These results highlight the importance of multiannual monitoring activity to fully understand the dynamics of B. oleae populations at a regional scale.

The olive is a medium-sized evergreen tree, which integrates a unique set of morphological and developmental characteristics suited to the relatively dry, rustic conditions of its Mediterranean origin. Also particular to the olive tree are its numerous small fruits, which are rich in oil that is highly appreciated for both flavor and health benefits. The Olea europaea species includes both wild and cultivated forms, and both a long period of domestication and the perseverance of wild varieties provide a range of morphological variation, as does the developmental plasticity of this species. This chapter reviews the general growth and taxonomy of the olive tree and describes its vegetative and reproductive morphology and anatomy. Basic structural features of the trunk and branches, leaves, roots, flowers, fruits, and seeds are described. Current research is indicated for the structures discussed, and information provided regarding adaptive significance, environmental influences, and genetically based variability among cultivars or between wild and cultivated genotypes.

Genetic linkage maps are valuable tools for genetic, genomic, and crop breeding studies. Several genetic linkage maps were constructed for the olive (Olea europaea L.) genome, mainly using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. However, AFLPs and SSR markers were not enough to develop a high-density olive linkage map. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), a recently developed single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) identification methodology based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, has been demonstrated to be useful for the identification of a high number of SNP markers and the construction of high-density genetic linkage maps. In the present study, we identified a total of 10,941 SNPs from a cross between the olive cultivars 'Gemlik' and 'Edincik Su' using GBS and de novo SNP discovery implemented in the computer program "Stacks." A high-density genetic linkage map for the olive genome was constructed using 121 cross-pollinated full-sib F1 progeny and 5643 markers (21 SSRs, 203 AFLPs, and 5736 SNPs). This linkage map was composed of 25 linkage groups, covering 3049 cM of the olive genome, and the mean distance between the flanking markers was 0.53 cM. To the best of our knowledge, this map is the most saturated genetic linkage map in olive to date. We demonstrated that GBS is a valuable tool for the identification of thousands of SNPs for the construction of a saturated genetic linkage map in olive. The high-density genetic map developed in this study is a useful tool for locating quantitative trait loci and other economically important traits in the olive genome.

International audience; About 70 % of the olive is grown on calcareous soils in Spain, most of which can induce iron (Fe) chlorosis. The main symptoms are interveinal yellowing of the young leaves, leaf necrosis, and reduction of leaf and shoot size, which can lead to major yield losses. Several strategies have been used to avoid Fe chlorosis such as the application of Fe chelates, but they are expensive. Here, we studied the effectiveness of synthetic siderite (FeCO3) and Fe sulfate injected in the form of suspension/solution into the soil for correcting Fe chlorosis in olives. Experiments were established in spring 2009 for four growing seasons in ‘Manzanilla,’ ‘Ocal,’ ‘Arbequina,’ and ‘Picual’ orchards. The treatments were injections of (1) a siderite suspension; (2) a Fe sulfate solution supplied with K2SO4 to make up for the K present in the siderite suspension; (3) a K2SO4 solution, named Control-K; and (4) water, named Control-0. At the start of the experiment, the suspensions or solutions were injected into the soil at 10–20 points around the tree at the depth of maximum root density. Results show that Fe chlorosis was alleviated in ‘Manzanilla’ and ‘Picual’ since leaf chlorophyll concentration (as estimated by the soil plant analysis development (SPAD) value) in the trees treated with siderite or Fe sulfate was increased by 4–7 % relative to the control trees, and leaf weight was increased by 6–9 %, but not in the ‘Arbequina’ and ‘Ocal’ trees. This finding was explained by higher available Fe in Arbequina and Ocal soils. The antichlorosis effect of iron sulfate was persistent and slightly higher than that of siderite. Both iron sulfate and siderite are not susceptible to leaching due to the low solubility of Fe oxide phases. Thus, a single application of these fertilizers constitutes a promising alternative to other Fe fertilizers, which require more than one application per year.

The olive tree is one of the most important crops in Portugal, where tillage is still a normal practice performed by the growers. This work intends to evaluate the effect of tillage practices on the diversity and abundance of entomopathogenic fungi associated to Prays oleae Bern. population in the olive grove ecosystem. In order to achieve this, three tilled and three non-tilled groves were sampled for P. oleae larvae and pupae, during two consecutive years. The fungi were isolated from diseased larvae and pupae and identified by rDNA sequencing. One hundred and twenty isolates of fungi described as entomopathogenic were found, belonging to 8 different species. The most abundant species were Beauveria bassiana (60%), Cladosporium cladosporioides (18%) and Cladosporium oxysporum (14%). Olive groves under no-till system showed higher occurrence (2.7%), diversity (7 species) and abundance (65 isolates) of entomopathogenic fungi than tilled system (2.3%, 4 species and 55 isolates). Although these differences were found to be not significant, the results suggested that no-tilled olive groves with natural vegetation presented the most suitable conditions to increase the probability of P. oleae infection by entomopathogenic fungi. The highest number of exclusive species found in non-tilled groves (4 species) when compared to tilled ones (1 species) also reinforce this fact and indicated that vegetation cover may act as a reservoir for fungal species.

Recent works have showed the possibility of measuring sap flow density (u) by a single heated probe using the transient regime just after the heating current is switched off. The method (SP-T) is based on a thermal index (I) which involves the temperature of the probe at three different times of the cooling kinetics (beginning, intermediate time, and end), the latter representing wood temperature at equilibrium. The present paper re-examines the method to better estimate wood temperature and to account for possible variations in probe-wood thermal properties. After a recalibration of the method on an olive branch with a hydraulic bench, the SP-T method is used to measure sap flow on two olive trees under field conditions. Estimated flow densities are compared to those obtained with the transient thermal dissipation-dual probe method (TTD-DP) of Do and Rocheteau. Obtained results show that: (1) wood reference temperature is better estimated when using the probe temperatures just before heating and at the end of the cooling phase; (2) calibration relationships based on a “normalized” thermal index K t = (I − I o )/I o, where I o represents the value of I under zero flow conditions, better account for differences in the wood-probe thermal properties; (3) I o, taken as the lowest I over a 24-h span, has shown consistent stability for a given probe-tree complex; (4) the SP-T method used in its normalized form appears to be in good agreement with the TTD-DP method.

Olive production is one of the main agricultural activities in Portugal. In the region of Trás-os-Montes this crop has been considerably affected by Prays oleae. In order to evaluate the diversity of fungi on P. oleae population of Trás-os-Montes olive orchards, larvae and pupae of the three annual generations (phyllophagous, antophagous and carpophagous) were collected and evaluated for fungal growth on their surface. From the 3828 larvae and pupae, a high percentage of individuals exhibited growth of a fungal agent (40.6%), particularly those from the phyllophagous generation. From all the moth generations, a total of 43 species from 24 genera were identified, but the diversity and abundance of fungal species differed between the three generations. Higher diversity was found in the carpophagous generation, followed by the antophagous and phyllophagous generations. The presence of fungi displaying entomopathogenic features was highest in the phyllophagous larvae and pupae, being B. bassiana the most abundant taxa. The first report of B. bassiana presence on P. oleae could open new strategies for the biocontrol of this major pest in olive groves, since the use of an already adapted species increases the guarantee of success of a biocontrol approach. The identification of antagonistic fungi able to control agents that cause major olive diseases, such as Verticillium dahliae, will benefit future biological control approaches for limiting this increasingly spreading pathogen., This work was supported by Science and Technology Foundation (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia – FCT) project PTDC/AGR-AAM/102600/2008 “Entomopathogenic fungi associated to olive pests: isolation, characterization and selection for biological control”. The first author is grateful to the Science and Technology Foundation for the PhD grant SFRH/BD/44265/2008.

[Background] Characterisation of plastid genome (or cpDNA) polymorphisms is commonly used for phylogeographic, population genetic and forensic analyses in plants, but detecting cpDNA variation is sometimes challenging, limiting the applications of such an approach. In the present study, we screened cpDNA polymorphism in the olive tree (Olea europaea L.) by sequencing the complete plastid genome of trees with a distinct cpDNA lineage. Our objective was to develop new markers for a rapid genomic profiling (by Multiplex PCRs) of cpDNA haplotypes in the Mediterranean olive tree., [Results] Eight complete cpDNA genomes of Olea were sequenced de novo. The nucleotide divergence between olive cpDNA lineages was low and not exceeding 0.07%. Based on these sequences, markers were developed for studying two single nucleotide substitutions and length polymorphism of 62 regions (with variable microsatellite motifs or other indels). They were then used to genotype the cpDNA variation in cultivated and wild Mediterranean olive trees (315 individuals). Forty polymorphic loci were detected on this sample, allowing the distinction of 22 haplotypes belonging to the three Mediterranean cpDNA lineages known as E1, E2 and E3. The discriminating power of cpDNA variation was particularly low for the cultivated olive tree with one predominating haplotype, but more diversity was detected in wild populations., [Conclusions] We propose a method for a rapid characterisation of the Mediterranean olive germplasm. The low variation in the cultivated olive tree indicated that the utility of cpDNA variation for forensic analyses is limited to rare haplotypes. In contrast, the high cpDNA variation in wild populations demonstrated that our markers may be useful for phylogeographic and populations genetic studies in O. europaea., This work was funded by the Intra- European fellowship PIEF-GA-2008-220813 to GB. PH was supported by MICINN grant AGL2010-17316 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. GD was supported by projects 041/C/2007, 75/C/2009 & 56/C/ 2010 of “Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca, Junta de Andalucía"; “Grupo PAI” AGR-248 of “Junta de Andalucía"; and “Ayuda a Grupos” of “Universidad de Córdoba” (Spain). VS was supported by grants from the ERC, Leverhulme Trust, NERC and the Royal Society.

In France, olive growing covers the whole Mediterranean region. The genetic diversity is important since about 150 cultivars are grown, but only a dozen are grown on large areas. The remaining consists of many local cultivars, specific to each of the 13 southern French 'departements' with limited cultivated areas. To preserve and study these local genetic resources, we established a network including local people. In this paper, we describe this network and propose a conservation strategy at national and local levels. At national level, a varietal collection of reference was established in 1980 by INRA Montpellier and CBNMED Porquerolles. This collection is located on Porquerolles island, out of frost, thereby ensuring the long-term preservation of cultivars. It currently includes about a hundred French cultivars. This collection presents the advantages to gather in one site the main cultivars of the different production areas. However, the poor adaptability of some cultivars to the location prevents most works of agronomical characterization. At local level, varietal collections have been established to preserve not only the main cultivars but also local and minor ones. To date, 13 collections have been established in 12 'departements' with a minimum of 3 trees per cultivar, each collection gathering only the cultivars of the 'departement'. These collections are managed by local people involved in the "National network for the management of olive tree genetic resources". Local collections allow the conservation of the cultivars cultivated in the 'departement' and the agronomic observation of the cultivars in their natural environment. They also facilitate the identification of cultivars by local growers and can be used as mother-plants for cultivars propagation and dissemination by nursery-men.

International audience; Two native Algerian mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices) were tested for their effect on the growth of micropropagated olive tree (Olea europaea L.). The effect of inoculation of plantlets with G. mosseae was also compared with chemical fertilization using osmocote. Specific molecular techniques were then used to detect the presence of the two fungi. Highly significant increases in growth were evident for inoculated plants compared with uninoculated ones. For a slightly lower shoot growth, G. mosseae doubled the root growth of the inoculated plantlets, compared to that of the fertilized plants. This change in the root: shoot ratio permitted greater utilization of soil resources and strengthened the plant’s capacity to resist transplantation shock and water stress. The abundance of the two fungi in the roots of wild olives just as in the inoculated olives is indicative of the predominance of G. intraradices when the natural microflora is present.

Contact: berville@supagro.inra.fr Publication Inra prise en compte dans l'analyse bibliométrique des publications scientifiques mondiales sur les Fruits, les Légumes et la Pomme de terre. Période 2000-2012. http://prodinra.inra.fr/record/256699; International audience; The present diversity of the olive (crop) and oleaster (wild) tree was investigated with nuclear and cytoplasm markers. Patterns of diversity of the wild form inferred eleven ancestral populations in the East and the West of the Mediterranean basin. Patterns of diversity for cultivars are less clear, but we showed that cultivars admixed to nine groups that corresponded to oleaster ancestral populations. We inferred that nine domestication events took place in the olive, but these origins were blurred by gene flow from oleaster and by human displacements. These origins of domestication probably reflected different reasons and uses to domesticate the oleaster. To cite this article: C Breton et al., C R. Biologies 332 (2009). (C) 2009 Academie des sciences; La diversité actuelle de l’olivier (cultivé) et de l’oléastre (sauvage) a été étudiée avec des marqueurs nucléaires et cytoplasmiques. Les patrons de diversité de la forme sauvage conduisent onze populations ancestrales à l’Est et l’Ouest du bassin méditerranéen. Pour les cultivars, les patrons de diversité sont moins tranchés, mais nous avons montré qu’ils se rattachent à neuf groupes qui correspondent à neuf des onze populations ancestrales d’oléastre. Nous en avons déduit que neuf évènements de domestication différents se sont produits pour conduire à l’olivier actuel, mais les origines sont rendues diffuses du fait de flux de gènes avec l’oléastre et des déplacements des cultivars par l’homme. Ces origines de domestication reflètent probablement diverses motivations et utilisations de l’olivier et de ses produits. Pour citer cet article : C. Breton et al., C. R. Biologies 332 (2009)

During the last thirty years, archaeological charcoal has been considered by the scientific community as a strictly paleoenvironmental object used to measure the impact of human activity on vegetal environment. Anthracological data helped writing the eco-history of rural societies and developing the archaeology of past landscapes. Yet, charcoal also records agrarian practices and technical gestures. Such reading requires using original protocols to question wood anatomy in terms of historical anthropology. Thanks to recent advances in picture analysis, the quantitative eco-anatomy of wood samples and later of charcoals was able to develop and allow such approach. Their application to archaeological anthracology is quite recent and, in the present case, on samples of medieval olive-tree charcoals. The aim is to detect for the first time an agricultural practice: irrigation, by discriminating individuals using referenced anatomical signatures on woods and charcoals of the present day and with the help of factorial analysis. This paper is a methodological contribution to the history of medieval fruit growing. It somewhat changes the way we see one of the emblematic species of trees of Mediterranean agriculture., Pendant une trentaine d’années, le charbon de bois archéologique a plutôt été considéré par la communauté scientifique comme un objet strictement paléoenvironnemental, destiné à mesurer le poids de l’homme sur le milieu végétal. Les résultats anthracologiques contribuaient à écrire l’éco-histoire des sociétés rurales et à développer l’archéologie des paysages passés. Pourtant, le charbon de bois enregistre aussi des pratiques agraires et des gestes techniques. Cette forme de lecture requiert la mise en oeuvre de protocoles inédits pour faire parler l’anatomie du bois en termes d’anthropologie historique. Grâce aux progrès de l’analyse d’images, l’éco-anatomie quantitative des bois, puis des charbons de bois, a pu se développer et autoriser ce type d’approches. Leur application à du matériel anthracologique archéologique, très récente, est faite ici sur des échantillons de charbons de bois médiévaux d’olivier. Il s’agit de reconnaître pour la première fois l’existence d’une pratique, l’irrigation, en discriminant les individus à partir de signatures anatomiques référencées sur les bois et charbons de bois actuels et avec l’aide d’analyses factorielles. Cet article est une contribution méthodologique à l’histoire de l’arboriculture fruitière médiévale et change quelque peu le regard que l’on pouvait porter sur l’une des essences emblématiques de l’agriculture méditerranéenne., Durand Aline, Terral Jean-Frédéric. Regarder autrement le charbon de bois archéologique : l'exemple de l'irrigation des plantations d'oliviers en France méridionale et en Catalogne (IXe-XVe siècle).. In: Archéologie du Midi médiéval. Tome 23-24, 2005. pp. 75-92.