Agronomic Characteristics of Several Italian Olive Cultivars and Evaluation for High-Density Cultivation in Central Italy

The adaptability of several Italian olive cultivars to high-density cultivation was evaluated from 2020 to 2024 in central Italy by assessing their agronomic behavior, with the aim of identifying which Italian olive cultivars can combine high productivity and suitability for intensive mechanization-through high- and very high-density planting systems-allowing biodiversity valorization. The cultivars were Borgiona, Don Carlo, FS17, Gentile di Anghiari, Gentile di Montone, Giulia, Leccio del Corno, Maurino, Moraiolo, Pendolino, Piantone di Falerone, and Piantone di Mogliano. The international cultivar Arbequina was used as a reference. The olive orchard was planted in 2015, at a tree spacing of 5 m x 2 m (1000 trees/ha). Arbequina was found to have limited vigor and high production efficiency, as reported in other works, therefore confirming its suitability for high-density and super-high-density cultivation. Some cultivars, such as Leccio del Corno, Maurino, FS17, Piantone di Mogliano, and Piantone di Falerone, had a production and yield efficiency that was not different from or even higher than Arbequina. Other cultivars found to be promising were Don Carlo and Gentile di Anghiari, which had a slightly lower productive performance than Arbequina. Overall, the results are encouraging and suggest that some of these cultivars may be suitable candidates for high- and super-high-density olive orchards. This suitability is further supported by their favorable fruit characteristics, which appear to facilitate efficient mechanical harvesting. However, additional data is necessary to enable a more comprehensive assessment of these cultivars, particularly their capacity to maintain canopy dimensions compatible with straddle harvester operation, while maintaining a stable vegetative-reproductive balance over time.