Cyprus is a Mediterranean island country known for its rich cultural history and its production of high-quality olive oil as well as one of ARTOLIO’s beneficiary regions. The island has a long history of olive cultivation, dating back to ancient times, and today it is home to some excellent olive tree varieties.
The most popular olive tree varieties in Cyprus is the Kypriaki or Ladoelia or Dopia. Ladoelia or Dopia is the main variety that has been cultivated in Cyprus since ancient times. It is adapted to the special soil and climatic conditions of the island and resistant to water stress during the frequent periods of drought that occur in Cyprus.
The Cypriot Ladoelia is a variety of mid-sized fruit and is considered of dual-usage, for oil production and table use (green and black). It shows strong variability in terms of its characteristics. The tree is sloping, grows to a medium height, and takes on a spherical shape with a diameter of six to eight meters. Although it is characterised by flower drop, it bears good fruit, holding one to three fruits per inflorescence. It presents “on” and “off” years and its production is adversely affected when bad weather conditions prevail during flowering.
Fruits mature in the lowlands around the end of October and in the semi-mountains a month later. The fruit is well preserved on the tree after ripening. The oil content of the fruit is about 22%. The olive oil from the Cypriot Oil Olive has a very characteristic aroma, very dear to the Cypriot consumers, who prefer to use it in raw preparations, such as salads, legumes, etc.
It is resistant to olive knot (Pseudomonas savastanoi) and salinity in irrigation water but is easily affected by olive fly (Bactrocera oleae), olive moth (Prays oleae) and peacock spot (Spilocaea oleaginea).
The second most important olive variety found in Cyprus, which is used exclusively for olive oil, is Koroneiki. It is a Greek variety and was introduced in Cyprus around 1977. It belongs to the small fruit varieties and is cultivated for its oil, which is fine, with good taste and aroma and with good stability and shelf life. It is a productive tree. It bears fruit steadily, with overproduction every second year. With a little care and pruning, it can bear good fruit every year. It is considered one of the best varieties for oil production. The tree of Koroneiki is lateral, shrubby, takes a hemispherical shape and reaches a height of 8-10 meters with a diameter of 6-8 meters, if grown in fertile soil and irrigated. In each inflorescence tie 3-5 fruits. It enters production quickly (3-4 years). It has minimal requirements in frost, blooms in the last ten days of April and has abundant and stable flowering. The fruit is small (average weight 0.6-1.5 g), with one side slightly curved and has a small nipple. It is a mid-early variety; the fruit ripens in November-December. Maturation is extended until January. It keeps well on the tree and after maturation. The ratio of flesh to kernel is 5-6.6: 1 and its oil content can reach from 15 to 27%, depending on the growing conditions. Used exclusively for oil production. Withstands drought and strong winds. It is not resistant to cold, so cold strong north winds can cause damage. In Cyprus, its cultivation under dry conditions has given moderate results. It does not grow easily at high altitudes and therefore its cultivation should be limited to areas with altitudes below 500 meters. It is used as a pollinator of many other varieties.
Other local varieties are Kato Dris and Korakou. The Kato Drys variety is suitable for the production of table olives, black or green, or for dual use, i.e. for both table olives and olive oil. It is larger-fruited than the Ladoelia, but has a lower oil content. The trees are of moderate growth with satisfactory production, however, they show the phenomenon of self-sustaining.
The Korakou variety is large-fruited and suitable for table use only as it has a very low oil content. The tree is of medium growth, has a high productivity and the phenomenon of self-pollination presents it to a limited extent.
Some other foreign varieties are also cultivated in Cyprus, to a lesser extent, such as among others:
Kalamon. It belongs to the large-fruited, table, Greek olive varieties The tree develops vigorous, upright vegetation and is of moderate height. The leaves are very broad, hard with wavy and folded edges, with the upper surface deep green and the lower ash green. The fruit is large, weighing 5-6 grams, pointed and curved at the base. The flesh is hard, whitish. The seed is large, long and curved like the fruit. The flesh to kernel ratio is 8-10:1. The color of the fruit turns from light green to reddish, and when ripe, dark black, which is preserved in canning. It ripens in November – December. Its oil content is 17-19% and is of excellent quality. It is an edible olive, used for the production of excellent quality black olives. In general, it is a fine, hardy and moderately productive variety.
Manzanillo. It is a Spanish, large-fruited table variety. She is very productive, but shows the phenomenon of alter baring. In Cyprus it has been cultivated systematically for several years, with very good results. The tree develops vigorous vegetation and a moderate height (8-10 meters). The arms are straight. The secondary branches are horizontal and the tree is upright. The leaves are narrow and medium, lanceolate, oblong. The fruit is round with an average weight of 4-5.5 g. and looks like a small apple, hence its name (Manzanillo in Spanish means small apple). Its color is glossy green and turns black when ripe. Its oil content is approximately 18%. The ratio of flesh to kernel is 8.2:1. It is a dual use variety, since the fruit is canned, but also used for oil.
Picual. It is also this Spanish variety, for the production of olive oil. In Cyprus, it began to be cultivated systematically after 1985, with very good results. It is quite a productive variety with stable yields every year. The production per tree in the fertile irrigated lands, according to Spanish data, exceeds 80 kg of fruit per year at the age of 12 years. The tree grows to a moderate height and is upright. The cylindrical shape of the tree and the size of the fruit help in mechanical harvesting. The Picual variety is mid-fruiting, mid-early and the proportion of fruit in oil exceeds 21%. The leaves are medium, oblong, light green on top. The fruit is spherical or oval, with a greenish color and black gloss when ripe. It is used for olive oil, however, it can also be used as a table green or black. The oil of the Piqual variety shows great stability and does not oxidize easily, due to the high percentage of oleic acid
Each of these varieties has its own unique characteristics, and growers in Cyprus often choose to plant a combination of different varieties in order to take advantage of their strengths. This helps to ensure a consistent and high-quality olive oil production.
Source: https://www.enicbcmed.eu/artolio-presents-olive-tree-varieties-cyprus-0
