|
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Objectives
-
To know the number of cultivars (cultivated varieties) making up the genetic olive resources of the project participant countries
-
To complete, in each area and country, the primary and secondary characterisation of the varieties already held in collections
-
To conserve all the varieties in core and national collections, as well as in two international collections
-
To carry out varietal surveying in the areas and countries where this has not yet been done and to propagate any varieties found to be different
-
To record the primary descriptors of any hitherto unknown cultivars
-
To include any newly identified varieties in the core, national and international collections
Back to top
Results
-
Adoption and improvement of a morphological scheme for describing/discriminating varieties
-
Creation of a common database system for use by all the project participants to process the data on genetic olive resources
-
Identification of cases of erroneous varietal denomination (synonyms and homonyms) in each country by carrying out primary characterisation using morphological descriptors in order to determine the number of varieties that are really different (considered to be autochthonous from then on) in each core and national collection, and subsequently in the Mediterranean region
-
Posting of the lists of autochthonous varieties on the Internet
-
Entry of the secondary characterisation results in the database
-
Protection of genetic olive diversity
-
Design and implementation of programmes for the genetic improvement of the species
-
Better understanding of genetic resources gleaned from secondary characterisation, aimed at ensuring varieties are grown in the right soil and climatic conditions and at achieving a consequential improvement in the quality of olive products
Back to top
Benefits
-
Documentation, publication and release on the Internet of the olive biodiversity brought about by centuries of interaction between humankind and nature
-
Strengthening of the position of the olive as a sustainable crop in current growing areas, both marginal and suited to the crop, thanks to the varieties selected or obtained from existing cultivars, and increased employment in rural areas in agriculture, industry and services
-
Ensuing reduction of erosion and desertification in areas where social development is heavily or exclusively based on olive growing, so keeping the rural populations in their home areas
-
Preservation for future generations of the genetic variability produced by human selection of the more promising trees from those produced by natural (sexual) propagation and curb of genetic erosion, which is a great threat throughout the Mediterranean region, although for different reasons in the European and other countries
-
Creation of an effective cooperative network for ascertaining, identifying
Back to top |
. |
