Olive trees in Andalusia, varieties and care

The total of olive trees in Andalusia according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture is 1,900,832 dry and irrigated olive trees.

The production is table olives and oil mill olives as indicated in the following graph.

Varieties and production by provinces of olive trees in Andalusia

The one with the most olive trees is Jaén, 850,000 hectares, almost equal to the total of the rest of the provinces.

It is followed by Córdoba with varieties such as Hojiblanca, Picual, Picudo and Lechín Cordobesa among others.

Granada with varieties such as Picual, Lechín de Granada and Cuquillo.

Sevilla with Picual, Sevillian Lechín, Hojiblanca, Gordal, Obregón and Sevillian Manzanilla.

Málaga with the Aloreña, Hojiblanca and Verdial varieties.

Almería with Picual and Cuquillo.

Cádiz with Lechín variety.

The Hojiblanca variety is the second most produced in the region after Picual.

• Currently, the production of intensive and super-intensive crops with arbequina and arbosana varieties is increasing.
• This variety is the most common in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Its name is due to the Duke of Medinacelli who was the one who introduced it and lived in the Castle of Arbona.
• It is resistant to cold and as it is not very vigorous, it allows the olive trees to be planted in higher density.

Finally Huelva with Verdial, Lechín and Manzanilla de Huelva.

Olive trees in Andalusia with appellation of origin production

Some provinces have protected designations of origin in oil production:

• Cádiz: « Sierra de Cádiz «.
• Cordova; « Baena «, « Montoro-Adamuz «, « Priego de Córdoba » and « Lucena Oil «.
• Granada: « Speaker of Granada » and « Montes de Granada «.
• Jaén: «Sierra Cazorla«, «Sierra Magina» y «Sierra de Segura«.
• Málaga: «Antequera«.
• Sevilla: «Estepa«.

Olive grove care

The olive trees in Andalucía basically need the following care:

• Stubble cleaning.
• Pruning in different phases: the growth phase and the conservation phase.
• Drip irrigation that prevents evaporation and runoff, especially if it is intensive or super-intensive cultivation. The irrigated area is increasing, although there is a higher percentage of dry olive trees.
• Irrigation control fundamentally in the ripening season because the crop will be more productive.
• Control of diseases and pests.
• Plantation renovation. Currently, the new plantations prepared to use harvesting technology are increasing
• The traditional olive tree is still more than 75% of the total.