Laboratory of Oliviculture and Postharvest Physiology

 Objectives

This field has the following aims :

 The improvement of genetic material.

 The study and evaluation of Greek and foreign olive varieties.

 The modernization of cultivation technique.

 The mechanization of olive harvesting.

 The study of factors affective the storage of horticulture commodities and quality changes during storage and transportation.

 The study of cultivation systems of olive trees and their effect on the environment in sloping and mountainous regions.

 The maintenance, characterization, identification and utilisation of olive genetic resources.

Study of oliveculture systems		Propagation of olive grafts
Intensive olive cultivation of cultivar "Koroneiki"

 Results

For the above aims it has been studied:

 The adaptation of Greek and main foreign olive varieties to the Cretan environment.

 The cultivation technique (different planting distances, growth forms, different pruning methods, renewal methods and maintenance of low shapes) in intensive olive grooves.

 The adaptation of different varieties to mechanical harvesting and the combined use of chemical substances and machinery for olive harvesting.

 The suitability and effectiveness of different types of olive harvesting tools and machinery in the reduction of harvesting costs.

 The harvest and post harvest handling for keeping fruit quality.

 The identification, characterization, maintenance, 42 natives and 63 foreigner varieties of olive and their maintenance in the collection of varieties.

Study on olive flower biology and incompatibility.

 Research Projects

 Study of the effect of exogenous and endogenous factors on the quality and quantity of olive fruit and oil production- DIMITRA – 95, 1997-2000.

 Conservation, characterization, collection and utilization of Genetic Resources in olive-RESGEN CT - 96/97, 1997-2002.

 Improvement of oliveculture in Crete. Continued.

Genetic characterization of stress-related features in Greek, Lebanese and Turkish olive tree- COMBINE –E.U, 2000-2002

The future of olive plantation systems on sloping and mountainous land. Scenarios for the production and natural resource conservation-OLIVERO,E.E., 2002-2006

Effect of salinity stress on olive plantlets in Hydroponics cultivation and Alleviation Techniques, 2007-2008.

Sustainable use of water resources and rural development in drought affected areas –IMAGE. Interreg III B Archimed, Measure 3.1: Protection, Planning of natural resources and Landscape, 2006-2008. www.projectimage.eu

Mediterranean Initiatives-Development in Agriculture-M.I.D.A.. Interreg III B Archimed, Measure 1.2: Assistance for urban centres, rural areas and growth of cooperation between them, 2006-2008. www.midaproject.eu

Safeguard of hazelnut and almond genetic resource: from traditional uses to novel agroindustry opportunities-SAFENUT, 2007-2010.
http://safenut.casaccia.enea.it

Publications

1. METZIDAKIS I., 1988. Factors affecting autocatalytic ethylene production in connection with ripening of avocado fruit. MASTER (M. Sc),Thesis. International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies. MAICH / ICAMAS, Paris: 1-76.

2. METZIDAKIS I., 1999. Field studies for mechanical harvesting by using chemical for the loosening of olive pedicel on cv 'koroneiki'. Acta Horticulturae 474: 197-202.

3. EL-MIR M., GERASOPOULOS D., METZIDAKIS I., KANELIS A. K., 2001.  Hypoxic acclimation prevents avocado mesocarpo injury caused by subsequent exposure in extreme low oxygen atmospheres. Postharvest Biology and Technology 23: 215-226.

4. METZIDAKIS I., 2002. Effect of regeneration pruning for the recovery of olive productivity and fruit characteristics in ten olive cultivars. Acta Hort. 586: 333-336.

5. KHALAF D., METZIDAKIS I., ORTEGA E., SFAKIOTAKIS E., 2003. Emergy analysis of irrigated organic and conventional production of olive and olive oil in Crete, Greece, Preliminary Study. Acta Hort. 608: 199-205.

6. NIKOLOUDAKIS N., METZIDAKIS I., BANILAS G., GAZIS F., HATZOPOULOS P., 2003. Discrimination and genetic diversity among cultivated olives of Greece using RAPD markers. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 128 (5).

7. METZIDAKIS I., SERGENTANI C., PIROVOLAKIS A., 2005. Orchard management systems for organic and integrated production of Kalamon cv., A case study of Crete. Proceedings of International Symposium on the olive tree and the environment: 74-80.

8. METZIDAKIS I., KRISHKOW E., 2005. An assessment of the nutritional status of two olive oil cultivars grown under conventional and organic management in non-irrigated orchards in Chania, Crete.  Proceedings of International Symposium on the olive tree and the environment: 51-65.

9. KRISHKOW E., METZIDAKIS I., 2005. The impact of organic and conventional management practices in irrigated and non-irrigated olive orchards on the soil properties, the nutritional status and economic performance of the olive cultivar "Koroneiki". Proceedings of International Symposium on the olive tree and the environment: 66-73.

10. TERZOPOULOS P., KOLANO B., BEBELI P., KALTSIKIS P., METZIDAKIS I., 2005. Identification of Olea Europaea L. cultivars using intersimple repeat markers, 2003. Scientia Horticulturae 105(2005): 45-51.

11. METZIDAKIS I., KOSMAS C., MOUSTAKAS N., PAPATHANASIOU G., KASSIDONIS Ev., KOSMAS D., KOUBOURIS G., SERGENTANI C., GIANNAKAKI A., 2005. Assessment of land degradation on different types of olive orchards on sloping land in the target area of Greece. Ιn: Gomez J.A. Ed. Assessment of land degradation in project olive areas, with on- and off- site effects. OLIVERO Project communication – No. 6. www.olivero.info

12. METZIDAKIS I., KOSMAS C., KOUBOURIS G., KASSIDONIS E., SERGENTANI C. and GIANNAKAKI A., 2006. Evaluation of tillage and organic matter management in the target area of Greece. In: Xiloyannis C., Celano G., Amato M. and Palese A.M. (Eds.). OLIVERO Project communication – No. 10. www.olivero.info

13. METZIDAKIS I., KOUBOURIS G. and SERGENTANI C., 2006. Recommendations for olive orchards that will be abandoned. In: Metzidakis, I. (Ed.), 2006. Recommendations for olive orchards that will be abandoned. OLIVERO Project Communication-No. 9. www.olivero.info

14. METZIDAKIS I., Martinez-Vilela A., CASTRO NIETO G. and BASSO B., 2008. Intensive olive orchards on sloping land: requiring good water and pest management. J. Env. Manag. 89: 120-128.

15. DOULIS A.G., METZIDAKIS I.T., KOUBOURIS, G.C., 2008. Discriminating ability of DNA markers for varietal authentication of virgin olive oils from Crete, Greece. Proceedings of the 6th Euro Fed Lipid Congress: Oils, Fats and Lipids in the 3rd Millennium: Challenges, Achievements and Perspectives, Athens, Greece, 7-10 September 2008.

16. KOUBOURIS G.C., METZIDAKIS I.T. & VASILAKAKIS M.D., 2008. Flower Performance and Fruit Persistence in Organic “Kalamata” Olive. Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Olive Growing, Evora, Portugal, 9 – 13 September 2008.

17. METZIDAKIS I.T., KOUBOURIS G.C., KASSIDONIS E., SERGENTANI C., GIANNAKAKI A., PAPATHANASIOU G., KOSMAS C. and MOUSTAKAS N., 2008. Impact of soil management practices on physical and chemical properties of soils formed in marls, conglomerates or schists in sloping olive groves. Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Olive Growing, Evora, Portugal, 9 – 13 September 2008.

18. METZIDAKIS I., MARTINEZ-VILELA A., CASTRO NIETO G. and BASSO B. 2008. Intensive olive orchards on sloping land: requiring good water and pest management. J. Env. Manag. 89: 120-128.

 Personnel

Olive trees rejuvenation