Abstract:
This study was conducted under arid sub-tropical conditions of Pothwar region to evaluate the adaptability of eighteen olive cultivars and selection of suitable genotypes on the basis of fruit yield and oil production. Longest period for pollen donation was observed in olive cultivars Ottobratica, Frantoio, and Hamdi. The shortest pollen production or dissemination time was observed in the cultivars Azerbaijan and Nocellera. Tree canopy, staminate flower, number of flowers per twig, initial and final fruit set percentage, number of shot berries and yield per plant depicted highly significant variation among the cultivars. However, leaf size, pistillate flower, fruit size, fruit weight and oil recovery percentage showed less variation among the cultivars. Final fruit set percentage showed the greatest variability among all the traits in different cultivars. According to the results of study, five olive cultivars including Coratina, Gemlik, Moraiolo, Nabali and Hamdi were found most suitable for oil and fruit yield under the climatic condition of Pothwar region of Pakistan.
Keywords:
Olea europaea
,
arid region
,
phenology
,
morphological
,
Pothwar
,
Adaptability