Increasing olive tree resilience to climatic changes through the selection of tolerant genotypes and application of sustainable practices

Extreme environmental conditions have challenged olive tree cultivation more frequently in recent decades.
The intensity and duration of heat incidents and periods without rainfall increase, harming flowering and fruit yields.
Even though olive grove management has advanced significantly, fruit yields still rely heavily on weather suitability.
Almost every year, one major olive-producing country reports a drastic yield decrease due to climatic causes.
In several projects, we aimed to evaluate an extensive germplasm collection for tolerance to abiotic stresses (water deficit, salinity, high temperature, low temperature, UV-B radiation) and phytopathological factors (olive fruit fly, verticillium). We also implemented multiyear field trials applying a magnitude of sustainable management practices for increasing the resilience of olive trees to climatic changes and enhancing their mitigation role through carbon sequestration.

IX International Olive Symposium

G. Koubouris

adaptation, breeding, climate change, mitigation, plant phenotyping

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1446.28