ʻFargaʼ Olive

Abstract

‘Farga’ olive is an old and important cultivar grown in southeastern Spain for oil production (17,000 ha). Yet, scarce research has been conducted on its horticultural and oil characteristics. ‘Farga’ trees are vigorous and resilient, having an open growth habit and dense canopy. The cultivar shows late and alternate bearing. ‘Farga’ rooting by semi-hard wood cuttings is difficult. ‘Farga’ is hardy and tolerant to moderate winter frost and is sensitive to peacock spot and olive fly, and resistant to bacterial tuberculosis. Due to high fruit removal force the tree is unsuited to harvest by shaking. ‘Farga’ identification using 9 microsatellites gave a unique allelic DNA profile. ‘Farga’ oil composition regarding fatty acid is highly monounsaturated (78% oleic acid) with low polyunsaturated content (7.5% linoleic acid). ‘Farga’ olive oil is highly stable and shows medium to high polyphenol content, rich in apigenin. Total sterols is medium-low, being β-sitosterol the most abundant. The EVOO profile of ‘Farga’ is mid to high fruited with green notes, with a tendency to produce oils with a large equilibrium. It is an EVOO highly interesting as a varietal or to produce blended oils.