Effect of Production System (Organic versus Conventional) on Olive Fruit and Oil Yields and Oil Quality Parameters in the Messara Valley, Crete, Greece; Results from a 3-Year Farm Survey
The demand for organic olive oil has increased rapidly over the last 40 years, but there is limited information on the effects of organic production methods on commercially and nutritionally relevant quality parameters in olive oil. The main objective of this farm survey-based study was therefore to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/7/1484 |
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| author | Nikolaos Volakakis Emmanouil Kabourakis Apostolos Kiritsakis Leonidas Rempelos Carlo Leifert |
| author_facet | Nikolaos Volakakis Emmanouil Kabourakis Apostolos Kiritsakis Leonidas Rempelos Carlo Leifert |
| author_sort | Nikolaos Volakakis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The demand for organic olive oil has increased rapidly over the last 40 years, but there is limited information on the effects of organic production methods on commercially and nutritionally relevant quality parameters in olive oil. The main objective of this farm survey-based study was therefore to compare fruit and oil yields and important oil quality parameters (including acidity, peroxide value and fatty acid profiles) between organic and conventional farms located in the Messara Plain and foothills. As expected, yields were substantially higher on farms in the Messara Plain compared with those in the foothills which have poorer soil, less access to irrigation water and are the more extensively managed. However, different to the many previous studies (which reported lower yields in organic systems), both fruit and oil yields were not significantly different in organic and conventional production and numerically ~10% higher in organic production. Additionally, olive oil quality was very high, and no substantial effects of production systems and farm location were found. Potential factors (e.g., low olive fly pressure) which may have contributed to the lack of a yield and quality gap between organic and convention production in the Messara region are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:23:52Z |
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| id | doaj.art-8cb29e0f77c8461baa46d2c075ae4c9e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:23:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-8cb29e0f77c8461baa46d2c075ae4c9e2023-11-30T22:37:55ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952022-06-01127148410.3390/agronomy12071484Effect of Production System (Organic versus Conventional) on Olive Fruit and Oil Yields and Oil Quality Parameters in the Messara Valley, Crete, Greece; Results from a 3-Year Farm SurveyNikolaos Volakakis0Emmanouil Kabourakis1Apostolos Kiritsakis2Leonidas Rempelos3Carlo Leifert4Olive and Agroecological Production Systems Laboratory (EOPS), Hellenic Mediterranean University, P.O. Box 1939 Estavromenos, Heraklion, 71004 Crete, GreeceOlive and Agroecological Production Systems Laboratory (EOPS), Hellenic Mediterranean University, P.O. Box 1939 Estavromenos, Heraklion, 71004 Crete, GreeceInternational Hellenic University, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, GreeceNafferton Ecological Farming Group, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UKNafferton Ecological Farming Group, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UKThe demand for organic olive oil has increased rapidly over the last 40 years, but there is limited information on the effects of organic production methods on commercially and nutritionally relevant quality parameters in olive oil. The main objective of this farm survey-based study was therefore to compare fruit and oil yields and important oil quality parameters (including acidity, peroxide value and fatty acid profiles) between organic and conventional farms located in the Messara Plain and foothills. As expected, yields were substantially higher on farms in the Messara Plain compared with those in the foothills which have poorer soil, less access to irrigation water and are the more extensively managed. However, different to the many previous studies (which reported lower yields in organic systems), both fruit and oil yields were not significantly different in organic and conventional production and numerically ~10% higher in organic production. Additionally, olive oil quality was very high, and no substantial effects of production systems and farm location were found. Potential factors (e.g., low olive fly pressure) which may have contributed to the lack of a yield and quality gap between organic and convention production in the Messara region are discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/7/1484acidityconventionalfatty acid profileolive oil yieldorganicperoxidase value |
| spellingShingle | Nikolaos Volakakis Emmanouil Kabourakis Apostolos Kiritsakis Leonidas Rempelos Carlo Leifert Effect of Production System (Organic versus Conventional) on Olive Fruit and Oil Yields and Oil Quality Parameters in the Messara Valley, Crete, Greece; Results from a 3-Year Farm Survey Agronomy acidity conventional fatty acid profile olive oil yield organic peroxidase value |
| title | Effect of Production System (Organic versus Conventional) on Olive Fruit and Oil Yields and Oil Quality Parameters in the Messara Valley, Crete, Greece; Results from a 3-Year Farm Survey |
| title_full | Effect of Production System (Organic versus Conventional) on Olive Fruit and Oil Yields and Oil Quality Parameters in the Messara Valley, Crete, Greece; Results from a 3-Year Farm Survey |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Production System (Organic versus Conventional) on Olive Fruit and Oil Yields and Oil Quality Parameters in the Messara Valley, Crete, Greece; Results from a 3-Year Farm Survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Production System (Organic versus Conventional) on Olive Fruit and Oil Yields and Oil Quality Parameters in the Messara Valley, Crete, Greece; Results from a 3-Year Farm Survey |
| title_short | Effect of Production System (Organic versus Conventional) on Olive Fruit and Oil Yields and Oil Quality Parameters in the Messara Valley, Crete, Greece; Results from a 3-Year Farm Survey |
| title_sort | effect of production system organic versus conventional on olive fruit and oil yields and oil quality parameters in the messara valley crete greece results from a 3 year farm survey |
| topic | acidity conventional fatty acid profile olive oil yield organic peroxidase value |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/7/1484 |
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