The Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor by Sandra Noke

Gearing up for harvest

2018 March

Harvest Outlook Part 1 Champion profiles Irrigation and oil quality Grove practices and oil quality Planning for Xf

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Contents March 2018 Issue 107

News Incorporating Australian Olive Industry Journal Published by the Australian Olive Association Ltd Publisher Australian Olive Association Ltd Executive Editor Greg Seymour ceo@australianolives.com.au Managing Editor Gerri Nelligan editor@olivegrower.com.au Advertising Gerri Nelligan editor@olivegrower.com.au Production Sandra Noke production@olivegrower.com.au Subscriptions A one-year subscription (four issues) is: Aust $44 (AOA member discount rate $40), NZ $56 and OS $60 and includes a copy of the annual Australian and New Zealand Olive Industry Directory. Visit www.olivebiz.com.au to subscribe. Circulation & Advertising Enquiries editor@olivegrower.com.au Contributions Articles and other contributions are welcome and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Photographs are best received as high resolution jpg files via email, and as separate attachments not embedded. Printing Lane Print & Post Adelaide Australian Olive Association ABN 57 072 977 489 PO Box 6661, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 Australia Ph: (+61) 0478 606 145 E: secretariat@australianolives.com.au ISSN 1448-5486 Conditions The opinions expressed in Olivegrower & Processor are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated. All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. All material in Olivegrower & Processor is copyright © Australian Olive Association Ltd. All rights reserved.No part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, the published will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

Lisa Rowntree steps down AOA welcomes new Admin Manager Local success at LA International EVOO Awards Olives SA plans eventful year Australia prioritises Xylella action 2018 National Conference heads to Wagga Wagga Tastebook Round 3 now underway 2018 AIOA primed for promotion New Olivebiz Classifieds

4 5 6 6 8 12 13 14 22

Feature - Champion profiles Rylstone steps into Champion shoes Loopline Olives Best in Show – and “still so much to learn”

16 18

Olivegrower Profile Mount Bernard Olives

R&D Insights – Hort Innovation Olive levy R&D updates

Harvest report Queensland 31 New South Wales 34 Western Australia 36

R&D – Irrigation and oil quality The effect of harvest time and watering regimes on olive oil extraction and quality

Grove management Olive oil sensory defects: the impact of agronomical practices on oil quality

New Zealand Tribute to Andrew Taylor Processing Practices seminar – Aussies welcome! Extension to Olives NZ Focus Grove Project Argentinian expertise for 2018 NZ EVOO Awards

44 44 45 46

Olive business Need harvest workers? Seasonal Work Incentives Trial Increase your pumping and pipeline efficiency Recipe … for success

47 47 48

Olives & Health Health Round-up

What’s On Calendar of events Advertiser’s index

50 50

With just weeks to go until the first fruit is harvested, 2018 looks like being a challenging year for many groves – and luckily, a great one for others. Image: Lisa Rowntree, Longridge Olives. Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 3

News

Lisa Rowntree steps down After seven years on the Australian Olive Association (AOA) management team, Lisa Rowntree stepped down from her role as AOA secretariat on 30 January 2018. CEO Greg Seymour said Rowntree has been an integral part of the organisation for many years, both as his predecessor and more recently in her administrative role. “In addition to keeping the AOA’s admin function running over the past year, Lisa provided tremendous support to me as I got my head around the CEO role,” he said. “I’m thankful she stayed on for an extra year, as it really helped smooth the transition. “And it’s great that she’s now having a wellearned break from the industry leadership and service roles she’s taken on over many years. She’s tackled some tough gigs, and the industry is lucky to have had someone willing to do so much and give so much of their time and energy. “Lisa has given her all to not only the AOA and its members but the broader industry as a whole. Her “official” work has contributed to many of the industry’s greatest structural achievements, while her passionate involvement in advocacy and education has helped raise the profile of Australian EVOO both nationally and on the world stage.” Rowntree said she made the move for a number of reasons, both professional and personal. “The time is right for the industry to have a change, and it’s always good to have a complete change, which meant a new administration team,” she said. “I also wanted to spend more time on our Longridge business and with my kids, who I’ve neglected for the past seven years. “I felt I’d done all I could do and had the energy to do for the industry, and that I can focus on what makes me happy now. The team that’s stepped in is really good, so I’ve been able to leave feeling like I did a good job and let someone else have a go.”

Time for ‘stuff’

Not that Rowntree is idle in her new life. “Now I’m working on construction of the new Longridge Olives processing plant with Jim – not the heavy lifting but the finger pointing, of course,” she said. “I’m looking after the logistics and spending time on the various offshoots of Longridge. We’re taking it in different ways and it’s wonderful to have time to put into that. “I’ve also been catching up on all the jobs I never got around to - all that stuff I haven’t had time to do in the past few years - and looking after myself, my family and my animals. All the things that make me happy.” She’s also continuing her industry involvement “in a much smaller way”,

Rowntree is enjoying her new life post-AOA, looking after herself, her family and her animals.

remaining on the AOA Board, the olive industry SIAP, the Murraylands Regional Development board and “lots of subcommittees”.

Memorable achievements

While Rowntree is proud of all of her work with the AOA, there are some which stand out as her most memorable achievements. “I really like the consumer awareness campaigns we’ve done over the years, and being on the committee when the Australian Standard was finalised is pretty special,” she said. “Steering the industry through a very rocky time is another – I’m so glad we got through it. “And the Code of Practice: that continues to be a really great thing that the industry has done. I’m really happy about that.”

What she’ll miss – or not!

Just six weeks into “retirement”, Rowntree said she’s not yet missing any part of her “working” life. “It’s too early days. But I can say that because I have confidence in the people taking over,” she said. “I certainly don’t miss those people with their own agendas, who wasted a lot of my time when I could have been doing valuable things for the industry! “Or the sheer amount of work there is to do. People just don’t realise how much work goes on in running an industry organisation – particularly a member based one.”

Message to members

Which leads to Rowntree’s parting message to AOA members, and those contemplating whether to join. “When you’re considering whether you should be a part of the AOA, rather than asking “what can they do for me?”,

4 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2017 • Issue 107

Former CEO Lisa Rowntree took over the administrative operations of the AOA management team in February 2017, and has since provided invaluable support to current CEO Greg Seymour as he settled into the role and the olive industry.

imagine the situation if there wasn’t an AOA and what that would mean to you. “If we didn’t have the national industry peak body, the peak body would be the importers, and they wouldn’t have the interests of growers in mind when they make decisions. If we didn’t have the AOA holding people accountable for what they do, supermarket shelves would be full of disgusting products, prices would be at rock bottom and our industry would be on a downward slide, instead of moving positively forward again. “And if something goes wrong, it’s the AOA which is going to go in to bat for the industry, providing a safety net for each and every one of us. “So whether you want to go to industry events or not, it’s up to all of us to support the industry association – and it’s absolutely worth backing.” For those of you who do go to industry events, Rowntree says she’ll be looking forward to catching up with members again at the 2018 AOA National Olive Industry Conference.

News

AOA welcomes new Admin Manager Liz Bouzoudis is now the AOA’s Administration Manager, having commenced in the role on 15 January this year, and is the new voice on the phone when you call the AOA office. Bouzoudis brings to the role a strong background in business administration and management, having spent the last 10 years as General Manager of Winetitles/ Ryan Media. She has qualifications in media communications and financial and business management, along with practical experience gained from running both service and productbased businesses. She also has existing knowledge of the olive industry through her role with Ryan Media, the former publishers of the now AOA-owned Olivegrower & Processor publishing platform.

Improving efficiencies

Bouzoudis said she’s settling well into the role and, while there are no major changes on the horizon, she’s keen to ensure the association’s administrative processes are as efficient as possible for all involved. “Having followed the industry from the outside for so many years, I’m excited to now be a part of the Australian Olive Association,” she said. “I appreciate the opportunity to make a difference where I can, and hope my input – coming from a slightly different perspective - will help ensure that members continue to receive the support the AOA is known for. Where I can I’ll look to make improvements in how the administrative part of the association is managed, and hopefully that will mean an even better service to members. “I’m also looking forward to my supporting role to the AOA Board, and to helping them in their work as they guide the industry in an increasingly positive direction.”

EVOO fan

There’s also a personal reason why Liz is excited about joining the industry. “I’m an avid consumer of EVOO – I have at least a quarter of a cup every day – so I’m looking forward to learning more about what makes it so beneficial for our health, and what makes a good quality olive oil,” she said. “And I want to find out just how Australian

AOA admin manager Liz Bouzoudis is no stranger to the olive industry, having moved to the organisation from her management role at Ryan Media, former publisher of Olivegrower & Processor. At the 2011 AOA National EVOO & Table Olive Awards she presented the Olivegrower & Processor Best of Class 2 award to Keyneton Olive Oil’s Sam Trovatello and Dean Valentino.

producers are leading the charge and becoming renowned across the world for the quality of our oil. “I’m in the ideal situation now to ask all those questions and know that I’ll get knowledgeable answers. I’ll be taking the opportunity to do that as I get to know members, and I’m really looking forward to putting faces to names at the National Conference in Wagga Wagga in October.”

Experienced and capable

AOA CEO Greg Seymour said he and the Board were pleased to have Bouzoudis on the team. “It’s great to have found a highly experienced, capable person to take over the administration of the AOA,” he said. “Lisa and Liz worked well together to ensure a smooth transition, and Liz has already shown great initiative with the introduction of several new programs and systems which better suit our operation. “2018 is set to be an exciting year for the Australian olive industry, and I’m sure Liz will be an invaluable part of the team in bringing our plans and endeavours to fruition.”

AOA office contact details

Administration Manager Elizabeth Bouzoudis (Liz) Ph: 0478 606 145 E: secretariat@australianolives.com.au Postal address: PO Box 6661, BAULKHAM HILLS NSW 2153 ** Note: Office hours are 9am-4pm. Please leave a message after hours. Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 5

News

Local success at LA International EVOO Awards Australian producers have once again made their mark at the 2018 Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition. Mornington Peninsula producer Cape Schanck Olive Estate took top Australian honours, awarded three Gold Medals for its Leccino, Picual and Coratina varietals, and Silver for its Frantoio. Fellow Mornington Peninsula producer L’uliveto Verde also took home a Silver, as did WA’s Chapman River Olives, while Queensland producer Sommariva Olives added to Australia’s medal tally with a Bronze. Across the ditch New Zealand’s Matiatia Grove is also celebrating, awarded a Bronze medal for its Waiheke Island EVOO.

OliveCare® CoP a winning program

AOA Olivecare® Code of Practice (CoP) administrator Peter McFarlane said the Cape Schank Olive Estate and Chapman River Olives medals add to the increasingly long list of competition wins by OliveCare members.

“By participating in the program, OliveCare® CoP producers commit to bestpractice standards in EVOO production, and to providing only a fresh, high quality, authentic, 100% Australian product to their customers,” he said. “That commitment is reflected in the many accolades our OliveCare® CoP members continue to receive, both locally and increasingly at an international level. “It’s a big playing field out there but the Australian industry’s unwavering

AOA OliveCare® Code of Practice members Cape Schanck Olive Estate and Chapman River Olives followed their medal wins at last year’s Australian International Olive Awards with another round at the 2018 Los Angeles competition, taking home five of the seven Australian awards.

commitment to excellence in EVOO production and quality is helping to consistently grow the international reputation of Australian EVOO. “Congratulations from the AOA to all of the winners.”

A highlight of the Olives SA calendar of events is the “Olive U” marquee at Tasting Australia’s Fleurieu Olive Harvest Open Day.

Olives SA plans eventful year Olives South Australia (OSA) members will have a busy time this year, with the state body planning a full calendar of events out for 2018. OSA President Michael Johnston said rather than a new thing, they’re actually reverting to the way the organisation used to run. “We used to have field days and training nights, so this is really returning to the earlier days of the industry,” he said. “There are a number of people who have come in recently and bought existing groves, and who really don’t have much knowledge about growing olives, so having events open for everyone will hopefully raise awareness of the sorts of information and help which is available to them. “Getting together to learn and share information is also great for industry cohesion and problem-solving.”

Johnston said educational field days are a strong focus for the future, as are regular newsletters to help industry members keep in touch with what’s happening. “We’re keen to hear from people about other events and opportunities they would find useful. Also what people are up to in their groves – things they may have experienced, or problems they’ve solved, which may help other growers. “We want to give our members a chance to comment and direct their committee, so we may best serve our members. And we welcome their involvement: we’ve got a busy year of happenings ahead, so please contact a committee member if you want to get involved, or indicate your interest in attending particular events.” Olives SA coming events: • April 21 - Horticulture for Olivegrowers. Full day on-farm focussing on pruning,

6 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2017 • Issue 107

pests and plant nutrition. Various presenters. Contact Michael Harbison olives@nangkita.com.au. • April 22 - “Olive U”. Full day of 30 min classes in the “Olive U” marquee at Tasting Australia’s Fleurieu Olive Harvest Open Day. Contact Kent Hallett - kenth@ aussiebroadband.com.au. • April 22 - Bus tour visiting Fleurieu Peninsula processing and pickling plants and groves, including the Fleurieu Olive Harvest Open Day/Olive U sessions. Open to the public and industry. Contact Steve Pantelos - steve@oliveco.com.au. • June 24 – EVOO and making table olives with Rosa Matto. Sunday session11am2pm @ WEA, Adelaide. Contact Michael Johnston - mjandrj@johnstons.net.au. For a copy of the events calendar, email Michael Johnston at mjandrj@johnstons.net.au.

PHONE: 03 5272 9500 lab@modernolives.com.au modernolives.com.au

News

Australia prioritises action on Xylella On 15 February AOA CEO Greg Seymour and NSW director Mike Thomsett headed to Canberra to attend the Xylella fastidiosa Priority Actions Workshop. Run by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, the workshop focussed on the priority actions identified at the International symposium on Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) held in Brisbane in May 2017. The agenda was to plan implementation of a national approach to enhance Australia’s capacity to prevent Xylella entering the country, and to prepare for a response if it ever does arrive. Seymour said the ‘national approach’ element is of prime importance. “At the end of the day it was really about making sure all the relevant industry people and the technical people at government level were in the same room to talk about what we’re going to do in a practical sense about Xylella,” he said.

AOA in the driver’s seat

“Xylella has been identified as Australia’s number one biosecurity threat and the Italian experience has proven that threat is very real for our industry. So the AOA is working closely with authorities on this, along with another couple of key industries. There was a strong collaborative vibe in the room as government and the agencies worked together to make sure that the very best is in place for our industry. “To that end, Mike gave an overview of the olive industry and the impact Xf would have for everyone. He outlined the current and planned industry activities and priorities around Xylella. “Around 50 people attended - cross-industry horticulture representatives, all the heads of the state technical departments, plus all of the relevant Commonwealth agencies like Plant Health and Biosecurity. Collectively we put together a set of recommendations for the Federal Government about what should be done in preparing for Xf.”

With no treatment currently available to cure Xf diseased plants, risk mitigation is our industry’s absolute priority. Photo: Rodrigo Krugner, USDA

Xylella fastidiosa is the top exotic and unwanted pest for Australia, voted #1 in the list of National Priority Plant Pests (2016). There is no evidence of Xylella being successfully eradicated once it has established. For this reason, preventing the entry of this pathogen into Australia is vital. With no treatment currently available to cure diseased plants, risk mitigation is our absolute priority, via: • control options • excluding vectors • removing infected plants and alternative hosts • planting tolerant/less susceptible plant varieties • managing water stress

Multi-level action the key

Seymour said the first official initiatives have been put in place, with more to be confirmed soon, after which the action needs to move to ground-level. “There was a strong endorsement from the group for a dedicated national Xylella officer, partly funded by industry and partly by government, who will drive a co-ordinated program across agencies and across many technical disciplines, including industry communication,” he said. “There’s a lot to be done, but we can borrow experience and techniques from the rest of the world - particularly Europe, where they’re already working to control Xf. The national Xf officer will co-ordinate all the scientific activity and make sure we get the information we need to implement strategies at the industry level. “Then we need to start talking to and engaging industry. It’s all about having industry people and systems on the ground capable of checking that there’s no Xylella – and we haven’t got that happening yet. If we suspect any occurrences then we need to be able to test for it, immediately, and then respond rapidly to minimise any spread. “The important thing is that there are things beginning to happen at Government level now so we’ll need to start doing our bit soon, too. It’s our livelihoods at risk. Our industry will be devastated if Xylella gets

What else can we do … • on farm biosecurity and awareness • source plant material from high health schemes • report any suspicious symptoms • conduct surveillance - early warning is vital • research into appropriate control and management strategies • work collaboratively nationally and internationally, to develop and deliver preparedness activities. a hold here, so it will be up to each and every one of us to be vigilant in our groves and nurseries, and then for us to be able act quickly in a coordinated and disciplined way if an infection is found. “The plan is to never let Xylella get to Australia but if it does, remember that ‘chance favours the prepared mind’. Our industry can be reassured we‘re working hard on being ready.”

If you suspect a new plant pest, call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline Find further information about Xylella fastidiosa on these websites: www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity www.agriculture.gov.au/pests-diseases-weeds/plant www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/pests-diseases-and-weeds www.planthealthaustralia.com.au You can also read more about Xf and the threat to the olive industry in the September and December 2017 editions of Olivegrower & Processor.

8 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2017 • Issue 107

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News

The 2018 AOA Conference will offer a smorgasbord of topics, all of importance to running a successful olive business.

2018 National Conference heads to Wagga Wagga Planning is well underway for the 2018 will be on fun, entertainment and personal Save the dates: National Olive Industry Conference & connections with a few exciting surprises.” AOA National Olive Industry Exhibition, which this year will be held in Seymour said the event structure will see Wagga Wagga, NSW from 18-20 October. plenary sessions on day 1, followed by a Conference & Exhibition 2018 AOA CEO Greg Seymour said the location conference dinner. Wagga Rules Club – was an easy decision for the conference “The dinner will be incorporated in the committee, given both the proximity for a registration package, so we have all delegates Wagga Wagga, NSW large number of growers and the access to sharing a great evening together,” he said. olive-related activities. “Then on day 2 parallel sessions are Thursday, 18 & Friday, “The venue is an easy drive from many planned, one stream focussing on table olives production districts and Wagga is also an and the other on EVOO. 19 October 2018 easy an easy fly-in for interstate delegates, “There’s been strong demand from growers with multiple direct flights from Sydney and in that respect, so there’ll be an increased Melbourne daily,” he said. focus on table olives this year, with the Optional field tour “Having the Wagga Wagga lab and program featuring a number of high calibre Saturday, 20 October research facility and the Charles Sturt presentations. University, nearby are an added bonus, “The program is coming together really giving us access to top experts in industry well and will offer a smorgasbord of topics, science and quality testing. all of importance to running a successful olive ”The venue, the Wagga Rules Club, was also a major deciding business and covering aspects from the grove to the market. factor. The social hub of the town for the past 45 years, it’s now an “We’ll end the conference proper with the AIOA presentations and ultra-modern, refurbished multi-use venue. It has great conference celebration on the Friday night, then head on out for optional field facilities, with accommodation right next door – and as a member- sessions on the Saturday. owned regional club, putting our business there means that through “So delegates are going to have fun, they’re going meet old industry them we’re supporting the local community. friends and make new ones, and most importantly they’re going to “We’ll have both the conference plenary sessions and the Friday learn stuff – lots of really useful stuff!” night AIOA Presentation and Celebration Dinner there. “We were also pretty impressed with the Riverine Club, an historic We’ll keep you updated on the 2018 Conference program and details as private club and function centre where we’ll be holding the Thursday they’re finalised in Friday Olive Extracts and the June edition of Olivegrower night conference dinner. This year we are having two event dinners, & Processor. each with a very different format and a vastly different venue. The focus 12 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2017 • Issue 107

News

Tastebook Round 3 now underway Tastebook Round 3 has now kicked off, with tasting samples and instructions posted to confirmed participants in the first week in March. Detailed training materials were also emailed to participants at the same time and the on-line Survey Monkey response form will be available from early March through to early April. Program convenor Peter McFarlane said the Tastebook Round 3 sample box includes three EVOO samples and 2 table olive samples, all Gold Award winners at the inaugural 2017 Australian International Olive Awards. “The focus of Round 3 is on writing meaningful descriptors for EVOO and table olives. It’s a task some people find difficult, and something that AOA Head EVOO Judge Shane Cummins believes can be improved via the Tastebook’s collaborative learning opportunity. “Round 3 will also address the many questions and issues raised by participants in the previous 2 rounds.”

Experienced guidance

As with earlier Tastebook rounds, two highly experienced “guest” judges have joined the Tastebook team to provide expert guidance to participants. “For EVOO we are delighted to have the services of Pablo Canamasas from Argentina, an internationally-renowned expert in the processing, blending and sensory analysis of EVOO. “Our other distinguished guest judge is Professor Stan Kailis, our very own ‘living legend’ and an international expert on table olive production, judging and sensory analysis.”

The guest judges join regular Tastebook team members: AIOA head EVOO judge Shane Cummins of Long Paddock Olive Rustlers; AIOA head table olive judge Dr Michelle Wirthensohn, Hort Innovation Australia Senior Research Fellow at the Plant Research Centre, University of Adelaide; Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay, a sensory scientist at DPI Wagga Wagga; and Peter McFarlane, AOA OliveCare® Code of Practice Administrator. A summary report on Round 3 will be published in the Friday Olive Extracts industry e-newsletter during May, with a final report to be published in the June edition of Olivegrower & Processor.

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Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 13

News

2018 AIOA primed for promotion The coming harvest has set us all thinking about the fresh, high-quality EVOOs and table olives which will soon be the fruits of so much labour. How good will yours be? And how will you get that message out? There’s one sure way, and that’s via the expert peer review provided by the 2018 Australian International Olive Awards. AOA CEO Greg Seymour said organisation for the 2018 competition began in November with review of the inaugural international event. “It was a successful event, particularly given the complexities of moving to an international competition, but there’s opportunity to improve in a number of areas,” he said. “In particular, we want to make sure we get the table olive awards and post-event activity spot-on this year. This is our time to come together and celebrate the achievements of the winning producers and the dedication and efforts of our industry, so we need to make sure it’s one hell of a great time. “As part of that, we’re looking for sponsors for this year’s event. Putting your name to an award is a great way to support producers and the industry, and a great opportunity for brand building.”

Bigger and better

This year’s event is once again being run by Chief Steward Trudie Michels, who has spreadsheets, timelines and other event organisation well underway. “The 2018 competition will be both bigger and better,” Michels said. “We’ve already had increased international interest, so we’re expecting more entries from both overseas and Australian producers this year.

presentation dinner at the national industry conference.”

Maximising marketing opportunities

The

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL Olive Awards

www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia .com .au

“We’ve also listened to feedback from last year’s entrants and are tweaking it this year to make it a better event all-round. We’re working on making the online entry system more streamlined and user-friendly, and postevent on getting the results to entrants as early as possible. “We’ve heard from producers about how their win helped increase sales, so this year medal winners will be emailed with their results as soon as the judging results are finalised. We’ll also have the decals ready for mail out when the medals are announced, so producers will be able to access them immediately. “Top medal winners will also know that they’re in the running for the major awards – best oils of each state, best in classes, best Southern Hemisphere, etc – so there’ll be even greater anticipation leading up to the AIOA

Are you doing your bit … Everyday? The AOA consumer education and awareness campaign Everyday had great results in its first year, achieving strong engagement with a wide range of consumers through the Everyday website and social media outlets. Now in its second year, the campaign focus for 2018 is firmly on cooking and preparing food with Australian EVOO. To that end the website – www.australianextravirgin.com.au – has been refreshed to increase the emphasis on food prep and recipes, while also still providing the important facts and myth-busting information which have proven such great tools in education consumers about AEVOO. It’s great stuff (and the recipes are deelishus!), so let’s all do our part in getting those messages out to even more consumers. It’s easy. Just Like, Share and Follow the Facebook page; reference the website on your blogs; and add a link to it on your email address and website. Remember: with a social media-based campaign, getting in and getting active is really important – and with an industry-wide team effort, we can make year two of Everyday an even bigger success. 14 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

Michels said it’s all about ensuring the winners get the most out of their achievements. “Having the decals earlier will help producers to market their winning oils during the prime “new harvest” sales period, and knowing they’re in the running for a major award will allow them to make the most of the promotional opportunities if/when they do win,” she said. “There’ll be official media releases both before and after the presentation event, coverage in Olivegrower & Processor and the Friday Olive Extracts e-newsletter, and further promotion of both the winners and the Australian olive industry at the AIOA media event. Last year’s was a huge success, presenting the winners and their products to the cream of Australia’s food media and influencers, so we’re definitely planning to hold that again this year.” Look for competition updates in Friday Olive Extracts, and more news in the June edition of Olivegrower & Processor.

2018 Australian International Olive Awards – key dates Entries open: July 16 Entries close: September 21 Judging: 4-6 October, Adelaide Awards Presentation Dinner: 9 October, Wagga Wagga

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Feature – Champion profile

Jayne Bentivoglio also took home a fistful of AIOA medals, cementing Rystone’s reputation for consistently high-quality oils.

Rylstone steps into Champion shoes When Rylstone Olive Press owner Jayne Bentivoglio put her foot down on a processing decision last Anzac Day, she had no idea it was the first step onto the winner’s podium. Five months later, that decision saw her Rylstone Cudgegong II Frantoio take out the Best EVOO in Show at the 2017 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA). The Cudgegong II also took out the awards for Best Southern Hemisphere EVOO and Champion Italian Varietal EVOO, adding to Rylstone’s fistful of medals that night. It was by no means her first major win, but Bentivoglio said this accolade was “the big one”. “We’ve won best of class a number of times, champion at various state comps, gold in Japan, Brussels and Los Angeles, and Best of Show Armonia in Italy, as well as our ‘big’ win in New York in 2013, but winning Australia’s Champion EVOO means more to me than anything,” she said. “It’s the pinnacle of peer review to have our olive oil known as Australia’s champion. It’s something you wish for but you never get your hopes up, as Australia produces such a high standard of EVOO and there are so many wonderful oils produced here. “I’m so proud – and my staff are so excited and so proud. It’s wonderful recognition for all of us, as was winning Best New South Wales Processor.”

A “nice oil”

Bentivoglio said she had a good feeling about the winning EVOO all along. “It’s a varietal, and I don’t often enter straight varietals as I find most of them are unbalanced, however when I look back in my tasting notes, I kept writing such positive descriptions about this oil. Every time I tasted the Frantoio I thought ‘that’s a really nice oil’, so when I saw the AIOA had an Italian section I thought I’d enter it. “It was great to have something from our eastern paddock to enter because I’ve always processed that fruit as an all-in. That makes this win all the more exciting for us.” Which is where the foot-stamping comes in. “Because we process for other olive growers in NSW, they start chasing us to do their fruit at the same time we process and the last of our own harvest is done in a rush,” Bentivoglio said. “Our eastern paddock was always harvested and processed straight into a blend, to accommodate other growers, but this year I put my foot down and said no. I insisted that the four varieties we grow there be processed separately, as I do with my other trees from the front and the back block groves, which is how we now have our beautiful Frantoio oil. It’s the best way to do it – process individual varietal oils and then blend if need be – but we’d just never had time before with our eastern paddock trees. “We’ll definitely be doing it again.”

16 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

The keys to quality

Bentivoglio says it’s those grove management decisions and best practices that make Rylstone’s oils so good – along with a great location. “There are a lot of aspects that contribute to the quality: starting with our altitude, our climate of course and also our unique soil type,” she said. “Our trees live in coarse sandy loam over Pyangle Pass Granite, produced 320 million years ago. Over the top of that, some 270 million years ago, came the eruption of the Rylstone Volcanics. After millions of years, my trees are mostly living in what remains of the weathered Volcanics and the Pyangle Pass Granite soils, which are full of rare pegmatites with crystal magma formations not found in other rock. “Over the last 20 years we have improved the top soil dramatically - the organic matter was 0.5% in 1997 and now soil testing levels are nearly 10%. That’s terrific in our coarse sandy loam. “I make a lasagne with my composted olive husk, combined with hay and chicken manure, and put it as fertiliser on my trees, trying to put as much organic matter back into the soil as I can. I use the natural grass sward as mulch too.”

Feature – Champion profile

The Rylstone Cudgegong II Frantoio took the Best EVOO in Show award at the 2017 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA), along with Best Southern Hemisphere EVOO and Champion Italian Varietal EVOO

Hygiene is paramount

“It’s also about being hygienic in the grove – I’m an old operating room nurse, so hygiene in both the Bentivoglio Olives grove and Rylstone Olive Press is paramount. “In particular, I’m fierce about not crossinfecting trees when you’re pruning, and clearing the grove of contaminated prunings. “With mechanical pruning and harvesting equipment you must make sure the equipment is cleaned before approaching the trees. Biosecurity in Australia is highly important in these times where European groves are being destroyed by introduced pathogens, so don’t let anyone go onto your grove and contaminate your property with weed seeds or other serious pathogen issues. “It’s also important for growers to maintain an isolated area in their grove as a quarantine paddock, to isolate and eliminate pathogen or weed problems or other grove contaminants that may be introduced with inputs. “Other than that, we supplementary irrigate, intensely monitor for IPM and suffer all the problems everybody else has in our industry with olive production, continuously applying years of hard work to produce the best Australian olive oil we can. “Bearing in mind, of course, that I don’t do this on my own: I have wonderful staff who have been with me since I planted the trees. We are a great Rylstone team!”

It’s the best way to do it – process individual varietal oils and then blend if need be

“We’re not selling this champion oil in bulk, only in 500ml bottle gift boxes and six-packs – with one exception: the chef from NSW Government House in Sydney heard about the Australian Champion EVOO coming from Rylstone, NSW and contacted me, so I sold them the only 3L tin in existence.”

International bonus

Sharing the love

Being named Champion by her Australian peers was the pinnacle, Bentivoglio said – and then she realised the win also had a new international status. “I didn’t focus too much on the competition being an international award initially – and I didn’t think ‘I’ve got to enter because it’s international,” she said. “I always embrace our Australian EVOO competition as exceptional and always enter the competition knowing that it’s the highest standard we have on top of our Australian Code of Practice. It’s a real bonus that it also now has an international standing. “A win like this is extremely beneficial for marketing, helping with expanding our markets. Since the win we’ve packaged this champion oil under our own Rylstone Limited Edition label, which is exciting. We designed this label a couple of years ago but didn’t really do anything with it. It was time and money, and just having another label for the sake of it was not a priority – but we certainly need it this year.

Bentivoglio said the benefits of the win are much more than just about sales, and that the positive press is helping to spread the word about our quality extra virgin olive oils. “Personally, it’s one of the best things I’ve achieved. You get wonderful acknowledgements from your peers and our wonderful supporters, the people who buy our oils all the time, are really very proud,” she said. “And I’ve been hearing that the importers and wholesalers of imported oils are commenting that more chefs want Australian oils now. Chefs are re-enforcing the message that Australian extra virgin olive oil is as good as, if not better than, the imported oils. “That’s fantastic.”

More information: www.rylstoneolivepress.com.au.

Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 17

Feature – Champion profile

Loopline OLIVES Best in Show - and “still so much to learn” Loopline OLIVES’ Kate and Mark Bunny are ever-so-slightly bewildered – but happily so. They won Best in Show at the 2017 Olives New Zealand EVOO Awards, the second time they’ve taken the top gong, but they can’t quite work out why. “We have often asked ourselves that recently,” they said. “On the first occasion, which was the first time we had entered the competition since taking over the grove, we thought it may have been a fluke. Now with the second win we’re still not sure. We wish we did, of course, because then we could repeat it. “Our philosophy is simply to produce premium extra virgin olive oil using the best techniques, working with people we enjoy working with and taking good people along with us. We take pleasure in knowing that on both occasions we have won with different varieties, the first time with Picholine and this year with Picual, so it seems that philosophy is working. “Other than that, we have no special potions or secrets. We work with nature and not against it, and if the trees are not well we take steps to fix the problem today not tomorrow. We also follow the oil to the press and next harvest we plan to have more input into the pressing.”

Starting from scratch

Coming from a sheep and beef farming property, the Bunnys had a steep learning curve ahead when they bought their established grove at Masterton, in the south of New Zealand’s North Island, in 2009. “Prior to coming to the property we had no knowledge of the olive oil industry. In fact, the year before we had stayed on an agriturismo in Italy and tasted their wines but didn’t taste the oil,” they said. “We found it hard to find information when we first started, so immediately joined the Wairarapa branch of Olives New Zealand. We offered our property for a pruning field day and then a repeat session because that’s what we were used to - sharing the knowledge and even the finances on farm field days. We learned a lot from those. “We now follow the very helpful Focus Grove Project run by Olives NZ. They hold pruning field days, oil tastings, and have other activities planned, and we use them all to keep learning.”

Golden rules

The Bunnys say that, while they have no secret methods, they do have a set of golden rules which they work by. “We start with management in the grove,” they said. “We follow the Focus Grove management

program for pruning our trees, aiming for maximum light for the fruit and looking at where the new fruit will come from. Our spray program is regimental after every 20mls of rain to protect the leaves; we need as many leaves as possible for photosynthesis. We also aim for sustainability by using seaweed for feeding the trees, mulching the prunings, and we use the wood for our open fire. “We harvest healthy fruit - a mixture of green through to darker fruit - and we squeeze the fruit looking at the oil consistency before harvest. We like the fruit to be processed as soon as possible. “We keep the oil at a certain temperature once it reaches the grove, stored in large tanks and fustis with food grade gas to fill the spaces. We rack off once the oil arrives in the olivery and then again a few weeks later but we are considering filtering the oil to avoid so much wastage. “And when we bottle we follow the certification requirements using green glass and fustis for our bulk supplies, which are sometimes filled using food grade plastic containers.”

The importance of timing

While they’re all important elements, one of those rules does seem to take prime position on the ‘how to ensure quality’ list; the emphasis on harvest timing and processing. “We communicate closely with both the harvesting contractor, Wairarapa Olive Harvesting, and The Olive Press in Greytown. We give approximate dates and keep in contact until we know the fruit is ready,” the Bunnys said. “There are so many variables involved, as the fruit ripens in its own time, not when you have a spare weekend in the diary, and in reality we have to take our turn with other growers and their ripening times. Sometimes The Press can’t take us until they re-open after cleaning, maintenance or other reasons. “Keeping an open line helps with the timing, though. We aim to harvest dry fruit and ideally have the fruit processed that evening. We also harvest by variety, so the harvester can be in the grove up to four times and more, depending upon weather, fruit ripeness and space at The Press.”

The business end

Once their oil is carefully harvested and pressed, the Bunnys have the same tough job as most boutique producers – selling it. Mark is busy in the grove most days, so much of the sales side is done by Kate. “I am the marketer, the organiser of the refills and do the orders etc,” she said.

18 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

The Olives NZ 2017 EVOO Awards Best of Show trophy now has pride of place in the Loopline OLIVES Olivery.

“We try and keep it simple: our website is plain but people say it looks real, so we have left it unsophisticated. We also encourage refills and therefore have some very loyal repeat customers. We believe in refilling bottles and provide an elegant pourer so the larger bottle can be displayed beside their cooker. “We sell at our Loopline Olivery, at farmers markets, bottled oil goes to delis, and we sell bulk oil to high-end local restaurants and a wholesale grocery outlet. We also export. “The best returns are from our Olivery and farmers markets, however the largest proportion goes for export – and we’re finding we now have nothing left over from the previous season. That means we sometimes need to buy in to keep our markets, depending upon the year and the yield from the trees.”

The ‘award effect’

And that supply juggling game is getting trickier, thanks to the ‘award effect’. “The two wins have had an ENORMOUS impact on our sales,” the Bunnys said. “Our brand is recognised and the award stickers sell oil; in the first few weeks we

Feature – Champion Editorial profile

Loopline OLIVES’ Best of Show winning Picual is grown in their picturesque grove at the foot of the Tararua Range.

ride the celebrity status, sharing newspaper and magazine articles on Facebook and updating our website. “We now also have choices for export. This time we have referred requests to our export partner and we have even declined offers. “In 2014 we had three export offers, from South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, and it was difficult to do the due diligence. We referred the offer from Japan to Olives NZ, as they wanted as much oil as the whole of Wairarapa can produce. “We have now built up a relationship with a fellow Kiwi who lives in Auckland and has connections and family in Taiwan, where his brand Olive Black is sold. He has since

bought two groves in our region, which Mark manages as well, so our expertise in grove management is used and his marketing skills take over once the oil is bottled, labelled and packed. “It’s a good set up and it’s working well for us.”

The boost

Awards also provide reward and motivation for the hard work involved in producing great EVOO, and the Bunnys say winning has been “a huge confidence booster “. “These wins may not be a fluke, we must be doing something right,” Kate said. “They provide a great benchmark, and

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with the OliveMark certification process we know we are competitive with others in the market. So this season our oil will go onto New York to compete globally. “But we want to continue improving and in September Mark and I spent three weeks in Spain, visiting groves and processing facilities and asking questions. There is still so much to learn, and we love the people who are involved in this industry so it’s all a pleasure. “We believe in the product and belting out the list of health benefits. Your body is your temple so why would you use anything else!” More information: www.looplineolives.co.nz.

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Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 19

Olivegrower Profile

Kevin & Deb Whithear, Mount Bernard Olives OG&P: How long have you been involved in the olive industry and what is your involvement? KW: We planted our grove at Avenel, Victoria in 2003 and my wife Deb and I do just about everything, including farm management, harvest, processing EVOO and table olives, packaging and marketing. Fortunately, our son Simon provides assistance on the farm when he can and we have employed backpackers, especially at harvest, and found them to be very good, willing workers. The reason we do it all ourselves is partly because we are small enough to enable this approach, but also because our policy is to try and produce the highest quality oil possible and our experience is that correct timing especially around harvest and processing is very important. We have found that we have better control over the timing of operations if we do not have to rely on external contractors and processors. We have just over 500 trees, with the varieties Frantoio, Leccino, Picual, Pendolino and Kalamata planted over about 2Ha on an 8m x 10m grid. We have a gravity-fed dripper irrigation system and the grove is run on organic principles - although I prefer the term ecologically sustainable farming. We have not yet taken the final step to organic certification. Our annual production is around eight to 10 tonnes and we usually get around 1500 to 2000 litres of oil. The exception was 2016, when we were hit with a run of 40°C days and scorching northerly winds when the trees were in full flower and we had no water in the dam for irrigation. The result was a crop of <0.5 tonne. In 2017 and great growing conditions the trees came back with a vengeance: we harvested 20 tonnes and did not pick another

estimated five tonnes. I am worried that we may have established the conditions for a significant alternate bearing event, so we awaited flowering and fruit set this season with some trepidation.

OG&P: What are your major markets and why?

KW: We mainly sell our EVOO and table olives at farmer’s markets, and through a network of relatives, friends and a few loyal customers. We also supply a few local stores, and one local restaurant and supermarket. We have a website and take online orders. The reason these are our markets is that so far, we have not been able to establish any others.

OG&P: How did you become involved in the olive industry?

KW: We bought our property in 1995 as a place to retire, develop a large garden and try to be as self-sustainable as possible. This includes an off-grid electrical power supply, which we installed in 1996 and have gradually increased in capacity over the years. Olives were an after-thought, because we had more land than we needed for a garden. We decided not to run stock because they would be too much trouble and olives sounded relatively trouble-free. In retrospect sheep, which I knew something about, would probably have been an easier and more profitable choice.

OG&P: How do you see the local industry positioned in the current global market, both in terms of its importance and comparative policies/standards? KW: The Australian olive industry is a strange beast, with the majority of production concentrated in few hands (with

20 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

one dominant) and the majority of producers accounting for a relatively small part of total production. To be successful globally, one needs volume as well as quality and for the majority of smaller producers, production is too small to make export a realistic option. Co-operatives where smaller growers pool their product may provide a means to get into the export market. Our ‘clean and green’ image and reputation for quality, backed up by OliveCare accreditation, is a definite plus for potential exporters. For the larger efficient Australian EVOO producers the global market would seem to provide a great opportunity, especially into the expanding markets in east Asia and the USA. Chris Mercer’s ‘Olive Route’ into China project is very innovative and exciting, and hopefully will provide an efficient and effective means for Australian producers to enter that rather daunting market.

We are seeing a generational change in our region OG&P: What do you see as the most significant issues facing the Australian and/ or New Zealand olive industries at present? KW: At the boutique end of the market in Victoria, competition for what at this point is a finite and limited demand for quality EVOO is an issue. Trying to establish a niche market for your brand is a real struggle. We hoped winning awards at major shows would be a point of differentiation and it is to a limited extent, but trying to break existing buying habits and convince customers to regularly consume EVOO is not easy.

Olivegrower Profile

We have better control over the timing of operations if we do not have to rely on external contractors and processors When I listen at conferences about the amount of water required to achieve maximum production from an olive grove, I wonder how this will be sustainable in the face of a predicted hotter, drier climate in southern Australia. This was brought home to me in the crop failure we had in 2016, when we had no available water for irrigation coupled with unseasonably hot dry winds in October. While reduced availability of water for most is more of a future rather than present issue, I believe that it is a risk factor that should be considered now and strategies for mitigation developed.

OG&P: What are the best ways to tackle those issues?

KW: The medium to long term answer for boutique producers is to try to expand the market by continuing to educate Australian consumers of the culinary and health benefits of high quality EVOO. We try personally to do this on a small scale at farmer’s markets and the AOA’s Everyday program is an initiative that will hopefully increase consumer consumption and demand. While our local experts in the field know how much and when to apply water to optimise production, I hope that there is also research going on somewhere in the world looking at how to profitably produce olives with less water. Perhaps there are varietal differences and, with the recent completed sequencing of the olive tree genome, the prospect of a genetically-modified olive tree better adapted to production under dryer conditions, as has been done with rice varieties, is a fascinating possibility. We may need it in the future.

OG&P: Are there any things you think we’re doing particularly well or badly?

KW: Our objective is to produce top quality oil, which I think we have done, with several gold medals and best in class awards but of course one can always strive to improve and do better. The thing I do badly is marketing. A friend once told me when we started our olive ‘adventure’ – “producing the stuff will be the easy bit, selling it will be much more difficult”. He was right!

OG&P: What are your thoughts on the Australian olive oil standard?

KW: This is a well-timed and excellent initiative and is strengthened by being backed up by Code of Practice OliveCare accreditation. All those associated with setting it up are to be congratulated. It provides a solid foundation on which to build the Australian olive industry.

OG&P: What are your hopes for the industry into the future?

KW: My hopes are obviously for the industry to continue to succeed and for younger farmers to see a realistic future for themselves in becoming olive producers. We are seeing a generational change in our region, Goulburn Strathbogie, as older growers depart and younger people take over their olive groves. Most of these groves are too small to be economically viable in their own right so new owners depend financially on an alternative income, most commonly a career in Melbourne. My hope for this cohort of new part-time farmers is that they take advantage of the expertise of people in grower groups

such as the Goulburn Strathbogie Olive Growers Association and learn about the mistakes we made so they don’t repeat them. I don’t think I will hold my breath though!

OG&P: And finally, what do you see as the realistic outcomes for the industry in the near future? KW: Likely realistic outcomes in the near future depend on which part of the industry you operate. Larger, well managed operations should have a bright future, especially if they are export oriented. The seasonal differences between northern and southern hemisphere harvests should provide an opportunity to supply northern hemisphere markets with the freshest oil. The boutique end of the market is more problematic because of a lack of economies of scale and the fact that there are probably too many producers competing in a limited local market. One only has to see the number of abandoned small groves as you drive around Victoria to realise that there is not much incentive for many people to stay with olives. I suspect that more groves will be left unproductive in the future. However, despite these difficulties I am optimistic about the overall future of the olive industry in Australia. If I was 20 years younger and know what I now know about olive growing, I would be prepared to invest in an olive enterprise of sufficient size to be economically viable. More information: www.mountbernardolives.com.au.

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Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 21

News

Got something to sell? Or want to buy? If you’ve got something industry-related to sell, you can now reach your target market directly with Olivebiz Classifieds. Our new online Classifieds service is an easy and inexpensive solution to advertising your unwanted equipment, extra oil - or even your grove. And if there’s something you’re looking for, it’s the ideal way to get the message out loud and clear to your peers and industry associates.

CLASSIFIEDS

AOA member discount

The Olivebiz Classifieds site was created following increasing demand from AOA members for an avenue to buy and sell directly to others in our industry. It provides both a much-needed industry trading site and another benefit to AOA members, with the listing cost just $40/ month for AOA members - $100/month for non-members. This includes a text ad and either a link through to your web page or images hosted on our site.

User-friendly

And unlike other general online sites, you don’t need to be a tech-head to create your ad: just send us your info and we post it up for you. Olivebiz Classifieds are online now at www.olivebiz.com.au/classifieds. Early listings have ranged from olive oil processing equipment and a polyphase converter to certified organic award-winning EVOO, all ready to find new homes with fellow industry members.

To find out more, or arrange a listing, contact Gerri at editor@olivegrower.com.au

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M: +61 426 875 855 E: sales@closuresonline.com.au W: www.closuresonline.com.au

THE LATEST UPDATES ON R&D WITHIN THE OLIVE INDUSTRY | MARCH 2018 R&D Insights contains the latest levy-funded R&D project updates, research findings and related industry resources, which all happen under the Hort Innovation Olive Fund. Hort Innovation partners with leading service providers to complete a range of R&D projects to ensure the long-term sustainability and profitability of the olive industry.

Exploring the mind of an EVOO user More than 1000 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) consumers have provided valuable quantitative insights into the attitude and usage of the product through the completion of two consumer surveys. Titled Project Popeye, the consumer surveys took place in 2016 and 2017 through an online questionnaire, as part of a Hort Innovation Olive Fund project. Each survey was completed by a sample size of more than 500 EVOO users who purchased the product in the last 12 months. The survey questions were developed by project lead Rigas Harbilas, from Sydney-based consumer research agency The Practice, in consultation with olive oil producers to ensure the survey findings were of practical benefit to growers and could help quantify key issues and opportunities for the industry. “A variety of topics were covered, such as nutritional awareness, product size preference, drivers of EVOO purchase and EVOO usage compared to other oils on the market,” Mr Harbilas said. “A surprising discovery was the correlation between growing up in an EVOO household and being a heavy buyer later in life, given 45 per cent of heavy buyers (who purchase EVOO every two weeks) reported frequent consumption growing up. “This statistic highlights just how important it is to influence cooking culture to get more EVOO into households.”

And in good news for the industry, consumers reported that they perceived Australian EVOO to be higher quality, healthier and better tasting than European olive oils. Some other key survey findings include:

56% of EVOO

users prefer EVOO for stove top cooking

53% of EVOO

users purchased their most recent bottle of EVOO on special

40% of EVOO users believe all EVOO products are similar

Project Popeye has provided valuable insights and also offers perspective on possible future R&D investment areas. “Often industry research is qualitative so it is important to have quantitative research, like these surveys, to measure how the industry is tracking and identify areas for improvement,” Mr Harbilas said. The surveys are being collated into reports, and will be available shortly on the Hort Innovation Olive Fund page: www.horticulture.com.au/olive This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the olive research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

42% of EVOO

users buy one litre bottles because they don’t have space for larger tins

19% of EVOO users are confident they know what Extra Virgin means

CONTACT: Will Gordon, Hort Innovation Relationship Manager Lead on 0427 920 924 or will.gordon@horticulture.com.au

NSW olive grower Peter Birch travelled to Italy, Israel, Spain and Argentina on a Churchill Fellowship.

Global research brings benefits, says Churchill Fellow Northern New South Wales olive grower Peter Birch doesn’t hesitate when asked what he gained from travelling to Italy, Israel, Spain and Argentina on a Churchill Fellowship in 2001.

Hort Innovation has now joined forces with the Churchill Trust to offer three Churchill Fellowships annually, each valued at around $26,000, to drive innovation and transformation within the industry.

“It was without doubt the ability to speak with people at the cutting edge of the olive industry, learn as much as possible about pruning and harvesting, and get a clear picture of what we needed to do to stay viable into the future,” Peter says.

Mr Birch’s journey towards a Churchill Fellowship and research into olive grove pruning and harvesting started in 1992, when he and his wife Jenni moved from Melbourne up to the cotton growing region of Moree, NSW.

“The experts we met in Europe and South America were broadminded enough to share their knowledge without keeping secrets, and we still catch up with some of those people today.”

“We’d enjoyed buying good quality olives and oil at the Queen Victoria markets in Melbourne so we decided to order and grow our own olive seedlings from nurseries in South Australia,” Peter remembers.

Churchill Fellowships, set up to honour the memory of wartime British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, offer Australians the opportunity to travel overseas to conduct research in their chosen field that isn’t readily available here.

“Seven years later we bought ‘Loch Lomond’ on the Gwydir River flood plain, 40km east of Moree, and planted 160 hectares to the main Italian varieties Leccino, Frantoio and Coratina as well as Kalamata and Barnea.”

In 2009 trading as ‘Thunderbolts Olives’ they planted another 90ha of Coratina, Picual, Koreneiki, Arbequina and Barnea, and another 15ha two years later. The Birch family became ‘middle tier’ private producers, with 75,000 trees planted on 270 hectares of sandy loam irrigated by the river and bores, and averaging 150-200,000 litres of oil a year marketed under the Gwydir Grove brand. As the Australian industry planted thousands of olive trees to capitalise on demand, Peter realised there was a need to know more about efficient and economical pruning and harvesting, and applied for the Churchill Fellowship to study methods overseas in 2001. “What ultimately came out of that was the change to the Colossus harvester. Traditionally, the Europeans had used shaker harvesters, but the machines were not efficient enough to get a large percentage of high quality fruit off the trees,” he said.

“If you can’t get more than 75-80 per cent of fruit off the trees, next year’s crop will be down, and also if it was warm weather during harvesting, the trunk shakers tended to damage the bark. “In Argentina we saw the Colossus, a massive, coffee-type harvester that vibrated through the trees and could harvest up to 98 per cent of fruit.” One of the other growing methods they investigated was high intensity groves which were grown more like grape vines and harvested with grape harvesters. “Ultimately we decided that the varieties available and the high level of growth that we encounter in Australia were not going to suit this high intensity method,” Peter said.

Research Recap PROJECT NAME: Churchill Fellowships (LP16002) AIM: To give Australian levypaying horticulture businesses the opportunity to research an area of interest internationally for the benefit of the wider Australian sector PROJECT PARTNER: Winston Churchill Memorial Foundation FUNDING: Hort Innovation’s Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative PROJECT DURATION: Four years KEY INFORMATION:

Three Fellowships will be offered annually for the next four years, each valued at approximately $26,000 Fellowship recipients can travel overseas for a minimum of four and a maximum of about eight weeks to conduct research.

Churchill Fellow, Peter Birch with the Colossus harvester that he first saw on his study tour in 2001.

“We did however adapt some of the techniques used in this method to prune our olive trees into a hedge shape, which gave us more light interception and harvest efficiency.” When Maqtec in Mildura started to manufacture the Colossus harvester, the Birches changed straight over to a Colossus, based on what Peter had learned during the Churchill Fellowship.

leader for research and development in the industry. “Most questions relating to profitability have been answered, but we’re still hamstrung by the ‘cheap oil’ challenge, where European exporters are dumping lesser quality oils onto the Australian market that are cheaper than ours,” he says. “If we could crack that challenge the outlook would be different.”

Since then they’ve owned four different models of the Colossus and Peter says that’s resulted in a much more efficient harvesting and processing operation.

The Birch family have recently sold ‘Loch Lomond’ and leased back their olive groves, with their last harvest expected to be in 2020.

The Colossus has been enthusiastically adopted by the Australian industry.

Churchill Fellowships are funded by the Hort Frontiers Leadership Fund, part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from the Winston Churchill Memorial Foundation and contributions from the Australian Government.

Peter met European experts Professor Shimon Lavee, Israeli breeder of the dual-purpose Barnea variety, and Professor Giuseppe Fontanazza, an authority in olive physiology and high intensity groves at the Olive Research Centre in Perugia, Italy. “The ability to speak with people at the cutting edge of the industry and work out what they’re thinking and where they’re heading was invaluable,” Peter says. “The Argentinians were under Italian tutelage but they were working out how to do things better for their groves, and there’s been quite a crossover from South America of people who started in olives there and came to Australia.” Mr Birch says the outlook is different for future Churchill Fellows from the olive industry, with major Australian processor Boundary Bend the global

Apply now Applications for the 2018 Churchill Fellowships are now open.

Who can apply? Churchill Fellowships funded by Hort Innovation are open to any levy-paying horticultural industry participants, including olive growers.

More information Visit www.churchilltrust.com.au for more information and to apply Or contact Sharyn Casey at Hort Innovation on 0414 257 616 or sharyn.casey@horticulture.com.au Applications for 2018 Fellowships close 27 April.

IPDM extension project will push growers to think outside the grove A three-year research project is underway to equip growers with a stronger understanding of the three major olive pests and diseases and the skillset to sustainably manage them. Led by Associate Professor Robert Spooner-Hart from Western Sydney University (WSU), the project An integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) extension program for the olive industry (OL17001) will provide growers and the supply chain with appropriate IPDM extension services focused on black scale, olive lace bug and anthracnose.

A collaborative effort A strategic investment under the Hort Innovation Olive Fund, the project brings together a national network of highly experienced horticultural IPDM researchers and extension scientists, the Australian Olive Association (AOA), Departments of Primary Industries (DPI) and state olive associations. “The collaborative industry approach is to ensure there is a mechanism and platform in place to support ongoing IPDM extension and communication beyond the life of the three-year project,” Professor Spooner-Hart said. A selection of face-to-face, online and hard copy extension material will be developed and delivered through the project, including:

Nine IPDM workshops Online tutorials and self-

assessment accessible to all levy payers

Three masterclasses for industry consultants or pest scouts

Best practice information flyers on IPDM for industry use

Hard copy and electronic

information, including a revised

Pest and Disease Field Guide and new best practice IPDM manual to be developed by the project team.

Workshops A key component of the project is the roll-out of nine IPDM workshops across olive-growing regions of Australia in the second half of 2018 and first half of 2019, to address the difficulties many small to medium growers face in managing their pests and disease problems. The workshops will cover a variety of topics, including:

Principles and practices of IPDM Monitoring for pests, diseases and beneficial species

Biosecurity Factors influencing pest and

Further details A survey will also be circulated shortly to growers through the AOA to help identify current IPDM knowledge gaps, and inform the development of extension materials. The project commenced in October 2017 and is scheduled for completion in 2020. This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the olive research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. Project contact: Professor Spooner-Hart on 0414 953 129 or r.spooner-hart@westernsydney.edu.au AOA contact: Greg Seymour CEO on 0476 760 160 or ceo@australianolives.com.au

disease spread and incidence in groves

Strategies for conventional and organic management

Advantages and disadvantages of management strategies

Importance of timing, application and targeting of interventions.

“Growers can expect to receive detailed information on black scale, olive lace bug and anthracnose, in relation to their local area,” Professor Spooner-Hart said.

Research Recap PROJECT NAME: An integrated pest and disease management extension program for the olive industry (OL17001) AIM: Develop, coordinate and provide industry with appropriate IPDM extension services focused on sustainable management of black scale, olive lace bug and anthracnose RESEARCH PARTNER: Western Sydney University FUNDING: Hort Innovation Olive Fund

“The basis of our IPDM message is that growers need to know what is happening in their grove and adopt an ecological approach to understanding the biology of pests and diseases as well as the olive trees.”

PROJECT DURATION: Three years

A variety of face-to-face, online and hard copy IPDM extension material will be developed targeting small to medium sized growers

Workshop dates and locations are currently being finalised, with the events likely to be held after harvest this year.

The project is an industry collaboration to ensure IPDM extension and communication continues beyond the formal life of the project.

KEY LEARNINGS SO FAR:

Project lead in the spotlight:

Associate Professor Robert Spooner-Hart Robert Spooner-Hart is the Associate Professor of Sustainable Plant Production Systems at Western Sydney University (WSU), and is currently the project lead for An integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) extension program for the olive industry (OL17001). Professor Spooner-Hart is no stranger to levy-funded pest and disease research, having been heavily involved in IPDM and beneficial insects in horticultural crops through WSU for more than 40 years, including more than 20 years in the olive industry.

Q: Can you outline your experience in olive industry research? My first olive industry IPDM presentation was in 1996 in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, when we didn’t really know what was going on around Australia. Since then we have been able to do a lot more research into IPDM and chemicals for the olive industry, through levy-funded projects, to help give growers more informed and sustainable options for managing pests and diseases. One such example is the levyfunded project Evaluation of key chemicals for pest management in the olive industry (OL13002) that was completed in 2014. It arose in response to a major review of pests and diseases of olives in Australia that identified olive lace bug and anthracnose as the two serious problems without effective, approved chemicals. Through the project we were able to identify suitable chemicals to combat these two key pests. We conducted field and laboratory trials to generate efficacy data to assist in their registration with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines

Associate Professor Robert Spooner-Hart has more than 20 years experience in the olive industry.

Authority (APVMA) for legal use in olives.

Q: What are your top three pieces of IPDM advice for growers?

Other related olive IPDM and chemical research projects that have been led by Professor Spooner-Hart include:

1. Growers need to see the grove and the surrounding vegetation as an ecosystem

Safe use of fungicides to manage berry rot diseases for sustainable oleaculture (OL06000)

Residue data for key chemicals in the Australian Olive Industry (OL13004)

Final reports for these projects are available to order through the Hort Innovation website.

2. It is imperative to be regularly, and correctly, monitoring your grove to keep on top of pests and disease before severe infestations arise 3. Understand appropriate pest and disease timing and application strategies, whether they be chemical or non-chemical, as timing of application is critical for effective targeting.

Minor use permits While the use of pesticides is being modified through the increasing uptake of integrated pest management, there is still a need for the strategic use of specific chemicals.

are required in the olive industry where the market size is considered too small to generate adequate commercial returns for the research and development investment by the pesticide companies.

Pesticide companies submit use patterns for registration to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and the olive industry is generally provided with limited registrations because of its minor crop status. Minor use permits

Hort Innovation has supported the horticultural sector to gain access to additional funding for strategic investments. In 2015/16, this included almost $1.1 million in assistance grants for access to industry priority uses of AgVet chemicals, from a possible

$1.6 million available. In 2016/17, this included almost $1.3 million from a possible $2.4 million available across all agricultural and livestock RDCs. Fortunately, the olive industry has been the beneficiary of some of these grants to help fast track their pesticide program. The Hort Innovation Olive Fund project Olive industry minor use program (OL16000) also supports the submission of applications and renewals for minor use permits with the APVMA.

ST15027 A multi-industry data generation project has undertaken residue trials for the renewal of:

PER14908 Pyraclostrobin + Metiram (Aero) / olives / anthracnose, with the residue data soon to be submitted with an APVMA application for the permit to support its renewal

PER14897 Clothianidin (Samurai) for the control of olive lace bugs. The residue studies have been completed and an application has been prepared and submitted during 2017 to maintain the current permit, which is currently with the APVMA.

ST16006 A multi-industry data generation project contracted by Hort Innovation in February 2017, which is undertaking studies required for new label registrations with Bayer and ADAMA for the following:

Bayer Luna Privilege (Fluopyram) for the control of anthracnose in olives Adama – Trivor (acetamiprid 186 g/L + pyriproxyfen 124 g/L) for the control of olive lace bug and scale in olives.

MT17012 A new data generation project contracted by Hort Innovation in late December 2017 will conduct the following:

Mancozeb residue trials in olives, to support a new permit request to assist in the control of anthracnose Residue trials for the renewal of PER81870, which covers the use of Pyganic Organic Insecticide for the control of olive lace bug.

Hort Innovation projects ST15027 and ST16006 use funds from the Australian Government’s Agvet program, with some additional levy contributions. Project MT17012 is a multi-industry project that involves contribution from the olive research and development levy.

Below is a list of minor use permits for the olive industry, as of February 15, 2018. Permit ID

Description

Date Issued

Expiry Date

Permit holder

PER14414

Natrasoap insecticidal soap spray / olives / olive lace bug

4-Oct-13

30-Sep-23

AOA

PER11360 Version 3

Copper / olives / fungal leaf spot and fruit rot.

24-Mar-09

30-Nov-21

AOA

PER82184

Fenoxycarb (Insegar) / olives / black olive scale

4-Mar-16

31-Dec-18

EE Muir

PER13999 Version 5

Dimethoate / olives (oil production only) / olive lace bug, green vegetable bug & Rutherglen bug

19-Apr-13

6-Mar-19

AOA

PER85411 Version 2

Paraquat & Diquat (Spray Seed) / olives / range of broadleaf & grass weeds (as per label)

1-Nov-17

30-Nov-22

AOA

PER14580

Azoxystrobin (Amistar) / olives / anthracnose

23-May-14

31-Aug-19

AOA

PER14575

Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban) / olives / ants, African black beetle, light brown apple moth

23-Dec-13

31-Mar-19

AOA

PER14460 Version 2

Ethephon / olives / fruit loosening

1-Jun-14

30-Jun-22

AOA

PER14791 Version 3

Alpha-cypermethrin / olives / curculio beetle / apple weevil & cutworms

6-May-14

30-Nov-21

AOA

PER80718

Methyl Bromide / fruit & fruiting vegetables, food producing plants & ornamentals / fruit fly, silverleaf whiteflies & thrips for biosecurity decontamination (all states)

12-Apr-15

31-Mar-25

Biosecurity SA

PER14908

Pyraclostrobin + Metiram (Aero) / olives / anthracnose

8-Jan-15

31-Mar-20

AOA

PER13859

Dimethoate / orchard cleanup â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fruit fly host crops following harvest / fruit fly

9-Feb-15

31-Jul-24

Growcom

PER14897

Clothianidin (Samurai) / olives / olive lace bug

4-Mar-15

31-Mar-20

AOA

PER80751

Fluazifop-P (Fusilade Forte) / olives / grass weeds (Queensland only)

7-Aug-15

31-Jul-20

GOMVITA

PER81949

Esfenvalerate (Sumi-Alpha Flex Insecticide) / olives / olive lace bug (14 day WHP)

20-May-16

30-Nov-21

AOA

PER81870

Pyrethrins (Pyganic Organic Insecticide) / olives / olive lace bug

17-Dec-16

31-Oct-19

AOA

All efforts have been made to provide the most current, complete and accurate information on these permits, however you should always confirm details on the APVMA website at portal.apvma.gov.au/permits. Details of the conditions of use associated with these permits can also be found on the APVMA site

Export handbook supports EVOO sales to China Olive producers seeking to gain a marketing edge in China and raise awareness of Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) are turning to the Olive Industry Export Handbook to fine-tune their understanding of Chinese import protocols and testing requirements.

information for growers as to how to go about doing overseas business safely, which is all available in the handbook.” And the workbook isn’t limited solely to exporters. “I think a lot of the advice in there would also be useful for domestic sales and positioning, especially the first two or three chapters,” Mr Mercer said.

Developed during 2016 through a project in the Hort Innovation Olive Fund, the handbook was written by industry consultants Chris Mercer and Paul Miller to strengthen producers’ knowledge of the Chinese market place and in turn, boost access for Australian EVOO. Speaking from Shenzhen, Mr Mercer said one of the initial challenges to overcome is that many Chinese consumers are unaware that Australia produces EVOO, with the market dominated by Spanish, Greek and Italian product. But he says consumer perceptions could be shifted over time, and marketing initiatives such as QR codes on Australian EVOO have been well received. “We developed the QR codes in response to studies that showed 90 per cent of Chinese shoppers research a product online before they buy, and that they value the origin and quality guarantee of the olive oil they buy,” Mr Mercer said. The Chinese EVOO market is dominated by Olivoilá, which uses Spanish and Italian oils, but Mr Mercer says it could be considered a ‘benevolent’ competitor for the work it’s doing to educate shoppers. “The brand has a massive advertising budget but it’s actually doing a lot of good in terms of educating consumers about the lifestyle and health benefits of EVOO, so that definitely works in our favour,” he said. The handbook provides guidelines for export to China covering product standards, food safety, traceability,

Chris Mercer helped develop The Olive Industry Export Handbook, to provide guidelines and tips for export to China. (Photo: Lucinda Jose ABC)

quality, packaging, labelling and product distribution. It also provides tips and advice across areas such as planning and shipping, finance and insurance, and brand development and communication. A producer ‘roadshow’ was delivered in six locations across the country to assist with the preparation of the handbook and its partner initiatives, as part of the strategic levy investment project Essential work to facilitate increased exports to China, removing roadblocks and enhancing competitive advantage (OL14003).

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the olive research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture

To order a copy of the Olive Industry Export Handbook contact Will Gordon, Hort Innovation Relationship Manager Lead on 0427 920 924 or will.gordon@horticulture.com.au

Research Recap PROJECT NAME: Essential work to facilitate increased exports to China, removing roadblocks and enhancing competitive advantage (OL14003)

Mr Mercer says a key concern expressed by the growers looking to export to China was security of payment.

AIM: To help grow Australia’s share of the Chinese market for EVOO

“Most growers who attended the workshops had concerns about getting paid and I guess there are two strands to this – making the sales in the first place, and then getting paid for what is sold,” he said.

PROJECT STATUS: Complete

Olive growers don’t need huge volumes of EVOO or ultra-low pricing to get into the export market

“The first is something that can be worked on in terms of branding, positioning, social media marketing and content generation. The second is a question of education and

A handbook has been developed for olive growers who want to explore the possibility of exporting to China.

RESEARCH PARTNER: Pomology FUNDING: Hort Innovation Olive Fund KEY LEARNINGS:

This R&D Insights insert has been funded by Hort Innovation using the olive research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower‑owned, not‑for‑profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Harvest outlook

Harvest outlook In our annual round-up of the harvest outlook around Australia and New Zealand, in this edition we see how the season is looking in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. As usual, where possible we’ve revisited the growers we spoke with last year to see how this year compares. Queensland

Edina Olives, Gin Gin It’s a sad time for Neville and Lucy Smith. They’ve had no commercial crop for the past seven years and have been battling olive lace bug for the last two. Pruning to eradicate the pest saw good regrowth last year but unfortunately the bugs have returned while the fruit has not. So they’ve come to the conclusion that Queensland’s climate is no longer amenable to olivegrowing, and made the difficult decision to remove most of their grove. “It’s not easy to do when you’ve put so much time and effort into it,” Lucy said. “They’re healthy trees, ready to fruit, and they look really beautiful but the conditions are just not suitable for them. This year it’s been very, very hot and because of the lace bug we just can’t leave them there – the bugs come for the olive trees and then damage the others.” Lucy said Neville has kept up his grove maintenance despite the prolonged poor harvests, to no avail. “He did a lot of pruning, and continued to look after them, hoping that something will happen – and he’d always spray them when the lace bugs came. But he’s put in a lot of money and work and they’re just not fruiting. “Last week he walked around and saw only one fruit. He said there might be another one or two maybe but he saw only one.” So the Smiths have decided to keep just 100 trees and, with great sadness, are looking for a more suitable home for the other 1500.

Want to re-home Neville and Lucy’s olive trees? • 1500 healthy trees • 15-17 years old • Frantoio and Manzanillo • Going cheap Contact Lucy Smith – edinaolives@mail.com.au “It’s easier to look after 100 than 1600. Maybe we can look after them well enough to finally get some fruit,” Lucy said. “Neville’s pretty heartbroken but we’re hoping that someone will want them. We’ll sell them cheaply and they can come and take them away. They’re beautiful healthy trees, they just need a cooler climate with less pests and disease.” Worendo, Darlington Rob and Sue Overell had “acceptable” crops in both 2015 and 2016 and then, like in so many Queensland groves, in 2017 lace bug hit. Badly, and their previous “couple of tonnes” turned into “not one olive”. This year’s not quite that bad but it’s not good news either. “We’re not sure about the crop at this point,” Sue said. “There’s a bit this year - a few trees that are fairly laden but not many - but we won’t know for a few weeks how it will turn out.” Sue said their trees did flower this season “to some extent”.

Gin Gin Palm Tree Darlington

“We could see flowers, though not a lot, and it didn’t translate into fruit,” she said. “It’s hard to say whether the weather has adversely affected the crop. Possibly to some extent. We’ve got a lot of wind at the moment, and it’s been extremely hot - more than when we first planted and hotter than other years. And it’s been dry until now. We’re just starting our wet season now (late Feb) and it’s usually earlier.” Pest and disease-wise, their big concern is obviously lace bug. “We had it last year but so far, it seems we may be lucky this year. But again, time will tell. There’s still quite a while until harvest.”

What is MS-Bio?

MS-Bio is derived from specially selected natural plants. It contains 20 different trace elements, which can be used as a seed dressing, on cuttings or a foliar spray on all plants, soils, vegetables, turf, vines, pastures and crops etc. What did MS-Bio do in 2015 and 2016? MS-Bio was used as a foliar spray on wheat, barley, lupin, canola, turf, pasture, fruits and vegetables, and got beneficial results like below: Increased microbe acivity Increased growth, germination Increased drought tolerance Repaired water repellent soils

Helped reduce the hard pan in soils Helped harden plant against frost damage Strengthened root systems

Are you interested in MS-Bio’s trial? If you have some questions or are interested in using MS-Bio, you can call Mick Stronach at 0447 394 068 or email him at mickstronach@gmail.com Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 31

Harvest outlook

“It’s not easy sitting back and watching lace bug get a firm hold of your trees!” – Roger Harrison, Rash Valley Olives

A lack of vigour in olive trees adjacent to large natives led Roger Harrison to dig a 700mm trench between the two, with a vast improvement in growth noted within months.

Which will be, it seems, a somewhat disappointing one. “We’ll get a small harvest, and hopefully enough oil for ourselves, but not enough to sell.” Rash Valley Olives, Palm Tree A “reasonable crop” in 2016 was followed by a considerably smaller one in 2017, put down to a disappointing fruit set due to moisture stress. This year, unfortunately, is a similar story. “It will be a small harvest, and my ‘best bet’ is that fruit-set was adversely affected by dry conditions last winter,” Harrison said. “Our irrigation system is not usable, due to lack of water, so the trees depend on rainfall. Winter is a time when the trees should not be water-stressed but in the months leading up to flowering and fruit-set (late September) this is exactly what occurred. Our 2017 rainfall chart shows just 123mm over 10 days from April to July, with no rain whatsoever in August or September. Then in October we got 277mm over 12 days “Also, we just don’t seem to be getting the cold winters we used to enjoy. The odd frost here and there, but nothing like the frozen birdbaths and frosts half-way up the hill.” So while flowering was reasonable, Harrison said, fruit-set was poor – initially, at least. “Interestingly, after the good rain in October some trees were observed in flower. That’s six weeks after the majority flowered,” he said. “I don’t know whether they flowered twice, or

even if this is possible, however the result is that those trees have a noticeably heavier fruit yield. Still not as heavy as normal, but considerably more fruit than the rest of the earlier flowering trees. “The trees themselves are in great condition now, and have put on a massive vegetative spurt after the October rains. The fruit which is on the trees looks very nice too, and if the birds don’t impact too badly, we will at least have a crop.” Some of Harrison’s trees have also benefitted from trenching work he’s carried out this season. “Over the past couple of years I have observed that the trees on the Western and Southern sides of the grove have not been as vigorous as those a few rows in. I suspect this is the result of competition for moisture and nutrients from large native trees only 15-20 metres away,” he said. “So in the dry period I engaged a local bobcat operator to dig a trench along those two sides, nearer to the native trees than the olive trees. His trencher would only reach 700mm but already I have seen vast improvement in the vigour of the affected olive trees.” Along with birds, olive lace bug has been a concern in Harrison’s grove, so this year he’s actively working on a solution. “We’ve had the usual occasional appearance of olive lace bug, and we are at present participating in a formal trial investigating the potential of a treatment

32 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

already used on other tree fruit crops, to ascertain its efficacy and suitability in olive trees,” he said. “It entailed letting the population of lace bug increase substantially in an isolated section of the grove, so the effects of different treatments could be noted. Some of the 20 trees in the trial were left untreated as control trees, and I can tell you it’s not easy sitting back and watching lace bug get a firm hold of your trees!” And now it’s time to think about harvesting, which Harrison will take some juggling this year. “Harvesting could be difficult this year, due to (a) the scarcity of fruit, and (b) the lighter bearing trees ripening much earlier than the others,” he said. “We don’t feel inclined to mess about with harvesting at different times to achieve just the right degree of ripeness – not for so little fruit. We also have to bear in mind that our malaxing tanks require a minimum of around 200kg olives to function effectively.” That’s a lot of hurdles to jump so, not surprisingly, Harrison said that oil-wise he’s “ever optimistic, and next year should be better!” **Note: We’ll follow up on the results of the olive lace bug treatment trial in Harrison’s grove when it’s completed. More information: www.rashvalleyolives.com. au

Olive business

Supplying the Olive Industry Tornado Harvester -

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Harvest outlook

Along with damage and residue in treated trees, Roger Harrison found live olive lace bugs in the ‘control’ area of his grove.

Mudgee Razorback

New South Wales

Karrabool Partners, Mudgee Dave Sargeant and Judy Rogers’ 3500 tree grove at Mudgee also saw fruit set affected by weather last year. Followed by a very hot and unusually dry summer, it meant their crop was reduced to around 15-20% of the previous year. This year has also had its challenges. “We started off with a good flowering but unfortunately about midway through we were

We went into the winter with a very poor soil moisture profile, - Dave Sargeant, Karrabool Partners hit by a hailstorm. It was very localised and knocked a lot of flowers off,” Sargeant said. “Then soon after fruit set we had another hailstorm and that knocked a lot of fruit off. “So our fruit quantity is low – a bit more than I originally thought we would get but nothing like what we were hoping for.” And like our Queensland growers, a lack of water is partly to blame. “We came out of a very cold, dry winter, which was preceded by a hot, dry summer and autumn. So the challenge for us – and I think right through the area – is that we went into the winter with a very poor soil moisture profile,” Sargeant said. “So coming out the moisture level was already low and it’s been really hot and dry over summer, so if you didn’t have water for irrigation, that really impacted. Talking to other growers in the area, everyone’s saying their fruit quantity is pretty low this year. Any irrigation we do is really supplementary to rainfall and if you don’t get that rainfall you’re really in trouble. “We have had some intermittent rain and fortunately we got some nice rain in October

last year, leading up to flowering, and that saved our bacon. But it’s very localised: at one time we got 40mm here and down the road they got 4mm.” That lack of rainfall has led Sargeant to change his irrigation practices this year. “We’ve tried playing around with our irrigation patterns a little bit, especially because it’s been so hot,” he said. “We’ve got drip irrigation and we’re trying watering for longer periods but less of them. Instead of a two-hour rotation, we’ve been doing four to five hours to get a bit more water into the ground, to see if that helps. “And we’ve got 3500 trees, so just to spread the water out a bit we’ve focused on giving 60% of the grove quite a lot of water, and the other 40% have had to battle on for themselves. “It’ll be interesting to see what happens there, both in terms of quality of the fruit and what happens come harvest.” And it’s nice to hear that there’s a silver lining to this (rainless) cloud. “Being hot and dry means we haven’t had any problems with scale and lace bug,” Sargeant said. “We’ve got an abandoned grove across the road from us and we’ve got to watch that very carefully. Last year there were issues but we’ve been keeping an eye on it and luckily this year we haven’t had to do much.

34 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

“Early in year we sprayed with summer oil and potassium carbonate as a precaution, and we’ve found that cleans the trees up pretty well. But you’ve got to be careful you don’t put too much on because the potassium can impact on the fruit development.” So leading into harvest, Sargeant’s crop is down but hopefully not as low as first expected, and looking healthy. “I just put it down to climatic conditions this year. It’s not dissimilar to 2017 and we harvested five tonnes then, compared to 40-odd tonnes in 2016,” he said. “This year it’s really hard to say. There were areas I didn’t think had much fruit but as time goes on are looking okay. It’s too early to make any predictions but hopefully we’ll get around 8-10 tonnes. “And what is there is looking pretty good. It’s starting to show a bit of stress from a lack of moisture but generally is pretty good. Not as big as you’d hope for but we’ve got another two months until we harvest - and we’re always one day closer to the next decent shower.” More information: www.karraboololives.com.au. Razorback Olive Grove, Razorback Danny Fahri’s harvest story is all highs and lows, with extremes of weather taking their

Harvest outlook

Donnybrook probably I’m lucky if it’s 200-300 litres”, compared with his average yield of 15002000 litres. “It’s lucky last year wasn’t a bad year, and also that I’ve stopped selling in bulk,” he said. “I now just do bottles, and that’s helped to keep my regular customers supplied. It’s lovely oil and such good quality that they’ll keep wanting it. “This year’s will be beautiful oil too but there just won’t be a lot of it.”

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York Mumballup Western Australia

Sherwood Springs, Mumballup Mumballup grower Ian Wildy has consistently good crops, thanks to the region’s ideal olive-growing climate. If you don’t count the disastrous 2016 harvest, that is. There’s also the ongoing threat of anthracnose, which last year necessitated a red-wine assisted contemplation on harvest timing. This year hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as usual.

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toll every second year. That pattern has held true this year, with last year’s “pretty good” crop followed by “the worst year on record”. “It’s all over Australia, due to very dry weather. There was no pollination, the flowers fell off and we lost 90% of the fruit. In 20 years it’s the first time it’s that bad,” Fahri said. “We did get good flowering in October and then the rain just didn’t come when it should. And it was really hot: even if you had the water to irrigate them the heat was so strong it was burning the flowers. “Maybe it’s the climate change, I don’t know. Usually we’d have 450-500mm so far but this year it didn’t reach 150. And it especially matters if it doesn’t come at the right time – you need it in October.” Fahri’s neighbours are sharing the pain, he said. “Other growers in the southern highlands have the same situation. Usually by this time I’m getting calls every day for processing but I haven’t had one this year,” he said. “Considering we usually start at the beginning of April, I don’t think there’s really going to be anything much at all this year and I’d be very surprised if anyone’s got a large amount. Even if you can irrigate, it’s not the same as soaking rain.” On the upside, Fahri said hot and dry means no disease whatsoever. And they recently had a little much-needed rain. “It’s amazing what a bit of rain does. Two days ago we had 38mm and the trees are smiling – the leaves are bright and shiny now. Hopefully there’s a follow up and we’ll get a reasonably good year. “But it’ll need to come soon because harvest is going to be about a month early. I checked today and already the Corregiolo are changing colour because it’s so hot. It hasn’t been below 30 here for the last month.” All up Fahri thinks he’ll get “a bit, but

a ox p

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Mobile: Kent 0428 829 024 Mobile: Michelle 0448 965 349 PO Box 114 Riverton SA 5412 Email: oops@aussiebroadband.com.au Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 35

Harvest outlook

Roger Harrison is participating in a trail of treatment for Olive Lace Bug, the bane of Queensland growers, entailing sections of his grove to be treated or left open to attack. The difference in leaf health says it all!

“There was heavy flowering on those trees that did flower but a lot of trees had no flowers at all, so overall it was a mediumlight flowering,” he said. “The red wine did indeed provide the inspiration I needed last year: not a single olive was affected by anthracnose and I must have had the harvest timing right because it won a Gold medal at Perth Royal Show. “But it may have actually been a bit early because a lot of fruit was not removed by the shaker. I suspect the trees on which there was no flowering were those that had a higher percentage of fruit left. However, there was good fruit set where there was good flowering.” Ref: Leandro Ravetti on poor flowering, page 37. Wildy said the weather throughout the 2017-18 growing season has been unusual – to his benefit. “We had the mildest summer that most people remember. It may even be the mildest temperature-wise on record,” he said. “Temperatures have been 5-10 degrees below normal and who knows what effect that will have on ripening. As a result more red wine will be required this year to pick a harvest date! “However, the pump that delivers water for irrigation gave up the ghost early in the new year and a replacement has still not been delivered, so I’ve done much less irrigation than would be my normal practice. But because of the mild weather hopefully the effect will not be too serious.”

The new threat is olive lace bug – Ian Wildy, Sherwood Springs On the pest and disease front, Wildy has both positive and negative news this year. “Anthracnose was not an issue for 2017 harvest. I thought it was my good management but it seems that there was very little incidence in WA generally,” he said. “The new threat is olive lace bug. It was present on a few trees at Sherwood Springs in 2017 and rather than spray I pruned it off. Obviously I did not get it all because it is worse this year. Not a disaster and interestingly, it seems confined almost exclusively to Pendolino and then a few adjacent trees. So I will have to spray this year.” And while the poor flowering means Wildy’s crop will be substantially down on last year’s, in terms of quality he says there’s “always hope for the best”. That’s backed up by this great story about last year’s gold medal: “I went to Italian classes a few years and met Greg, who has an exceptional knowledge and palate for wine. He had previously bought a bit of olive oil and I asked if he would like to make his own blend from the Leccino/Frantoio/Minerva batches that we had from the harvest. He said yes … and “Greg’s Blend” won the gold medal!

36 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

To repeat the result this year, Wildy said he will have “Another tricky decision about harvest timing, given the mild climate and lack of irrigation. More red wine!! “But I will err on the early side – quality over quantity.” More information: www.sherwoodsprings. com.au Talbot Grove, York Frederik von Altenstadt had a lot of rain during last year’s growing season, which saw “phenomenal development” boost his initially disappointing crop. This year started out on a much better note, thanks to both luck and good management practice. “Flowering was excellent. I don’t know if we ever had a better year for flowers – an enormous number. When they dropped under some trees the ground looked white,” he said. “Fruit set was good also. Maybe not the very best we’ve had but still very good, and definitely better than last year. “I think it’s because we had a bit of rain during that flowering and fruit set period. Last year we didn’t have any and this year I had a few small but significant rainfall events – 13mm, 8mm, 6mm – at late fruit set. “The other thing is I have irrigated heavily during that period as well. I only have a very limited supply of water and my irrigation system is quite low capacity but I gave it all I’ve got and irrigated for 20 hours a day. That still was not a lot of water – 16L per day, which is a fraction of what people who have

Harvest outlook

Facing page: Lace bug growth

real irrigation give - but enough to make a significant difference between getting a poor and a good fruit set. “Based on my observations and experience, it’s crucial to have enough irrigation during flowering – and for a couple of weeks at least after flowering. In dry years that little embryonic fruit can dry up and fall off but once it has developed to a certain point it will hang on until it gets moisture and can develop more.” Von Altenstadt said the weather has also been kind this year. “We’ve had an unusually mild summer, with temperatures only 30 degrees compared to 40-45 normally,” he said. “Then we had one big rainfall event in midJanuary of about 80mm, which has had a huge impact. The trees look well, they don’t look stressed and I haven’t had my irrigation on. That said, as the oil is forming water is important so I’ll turn it on again today. “Irrigation is probably the most important part of grove management, so I target it: at the end of October for almost two months and then for the next month or so I want to irrigate to help with the oil formation. “So instead of trying to spread out too thinly, these two periods – October-November and February-March – are when I do all irrigation.” Von Altenstadt is also luckier than most this year in terms of pests and disease issues. “We haven’t got any really, nothing unusual. I have very low incidence of scale there’s only one tree that I’m aware of at the moment that is effected,” he said.

Healthy growth

Leandro Ravetti on poor flowering: “The poor flowering on those trees could be the consequence of a couple of things acting simultaneously: • Fruit left on trees. Under normal cropping conditions, for example, 20% of crop left on the trees could affect next year’s production by up to 50%. • It’s likely that those trees had good crop last year and the high crop (maybe in combination with the management practices) would also have a negative influence on tree growth and flowering differentiation. “The number 28 parrots always do some damage but because I have so much fruit this year, the percentage is there so it doesn’t worry me too much. I’ve also learned that once the seed is hard they don’t go so much for them. It’s more December-January, so I think we’re through the danger period now.” Which all leads to a good yield outlook at Talbot Grove this year. “It’s a much bigger crop this year and also looking good for all three , including the Nevadillo which is often not great croppingwise,” he said. “Every second year they have almost nothing on them but it’s not alternate bearing. It’s a variety that seems to need more than other varieties, and just giving them heaps of water does not make them fruit well. The scientific people will tell you it’s something to do with the flowers. “It needs perfect conditions but it’s the most beautiful oil. All the gold medals I have won have been Nevadillo.” Quality, von Altenstadt says, is “too early to

say”, although timing is pretty much a given. “I will only know the quality after the olives have been pressed. But generally, the amount of moisture and rainfall over the next few weeks will be crucial,” he said “And harvest varies for me so little that from a farmer’s perspective it doesn’t really matter. It could be a few days. The month of May is always our harvest month: we start at the beginning and the rest just depends on how quickly we get through it and how many breakdowns we have. “Last year we started on the Nevadillo and they weren’t really ready, so we started on the Frantoio and they were. With the three big rainfall events we had last year, the oil turned out really mild so in the end, mixing the slightly unripe with what was harvested at probably the right time gave perfect results. “The strong and the mild, you really want that balance.” More information: www.talbotgrove.com.

Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 37

R&D – Irrigation and oil quality

Ketema Zeleke (left) and Jamie Ayton (right) School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences, Charles Sturt University and NSW Department of Primary Industries.

The effect of harvest time and watering regimes on olive oil extraction and quality In the December edition we looked at the effects of water deficit at various parts of the growing cycle on olive productivity. This R&D report builds on that, looking at how water availability affects both oil quality and yield. Introduction

4.5 4.0

Maturity index

3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0

Rainfed Deficit Irrigated

0.5 0.0

Days since 01 April Figure 1. Maturity index of olive cv. Corregiola subjected to three irrigation treatments at Wagga Wagga, NSW.

13 June Rainfed Deficit Irrigated

100

Despite being considered one of the most drought-tolerant crops, intensive commercial production of olives requires irrigation. While irrigation increases fruit set and fruit yield, it also impacts oil yield, concentration, and quality. During fruit maturation, the oil content and quality change. Therefore, the fruit should be harvested when oil accumulation is at or near its peak and the oil quality is good. Growing region, variety and cultural practices affect the degree of maturation at which this optimum harvest time is achieved. If harvested too early, oil yield will be lower, however later harvests will achieve higher oil yields but potentially lower quality oil. To study how water availability affects the yield and quality of an olive crop, an experiment was conducted on 12-yearold olive trees of the Corregiola variety at Wagga Wagga, NSW. Three irrigation treatments during the olive pit hardening period were used: rain-fed (0% of evapotranspiration), deficit irrigation (50% of evapotranspiration) and full irrigation (100% of evapotranspiration). Olives were harvested and tested five times from April to July to determine oil yield and quality.

Fruit water content

Figure 2. Olive ripening affected by watering regime.

38 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

It was observed that irrigation or high rainfall significantly affected fruit water content. Fruit water content decreased during the maturation period. During the olive harvest window (April-July), fruit water content decreased from 52% to 41%, from 56% to 45%, and from 58% to 46% for non-irrigated, deficit, and fully irrigated treatments, respectively. High water content led to difficulty when mechanically extracting the oil.

R&D – Irrigation and oil quality

Deficit

Rainfed

Irrigated

Figure 3. Extractable oil content affected by watering regime.

Maturity index

The watering regime also had an effect on fruit ripeness. The non-irrigated treatments showed a consistently higher maturity index and the fully irrigated treatment showed the lowest maturity index (Fig. 1).

Extractable and total oil content

Chemically extracted (total) oil content

of olive fruits increased during the fruit ripening period, but at a lower rate than the mechanically extracted (ME) oil content increased. The difference between the chemically extracted (CE) oil content from the different watering regimes was also low compared to that for the ME oil. Comparison of ME oil and CE oil (Fig. 4) shows that the non-irrigated olive

fruits contained higher amount of oil. The ME results show that the higher the fruit water content, the lower the effectiveness of mechanical extraction and the more oil remains in the pomace. The non-irrigated olives had higher CE oil content and higher ME oil content. However, as other researchers have observed, the increase in fruit yield as a result

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Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 39

R&D – Irrigation and oil quality

Cold press oil and total fruit oil contents (%Fresh)

of increased irrigation can lead to a greater overall oil yield per tree or per hectare. As the fruit water content decreased during maturity, extraction efficiency increased. Note: the extractable oil at the last harvest was low due to rainfall after the preceding harvest.

Free fatty acid

The free fatty acid content of the oils studied was well below the IOC limit of 0.8% for extra virgin olive oil. There was no significant difference between the free fatty acid of the three watering regimes, although the fully irrigated olives had slightly but consistently

Peroxide value

Peroxide value is used as an indicator to reveal enzymatic and oxidative deterioration in oil. Peroxide value showed only little variation over the five harvest events and between the watering regimes.

Total polyphenol content

There was no significant difference between the total polyphenol content of the trees subjected to the three watering regimes. Other researchers have found that trees receiving more water have shown lower total polyphenol content. The total polyphenol content decreased between the first and last harvests.

Fatty acid profile

Rainfed (ME) Rainfed (CE) 0

Deficit (ME) Deficit (CE) 45

Irrigated (ME) Irrigated (CE) 75

105

Days since 01 April

Figure 4. Mechanically extracted and chemically extracted (total) oil content of olive cv. Corregiola fruits subjected to three irrigation treatments at different harvest times at Wagga Wagga, NSW. ME = mechanically extracted oil; CE = chemically extracted or total oil.

0.25

0.20

0.15

0.10

Rainfed Deficit

0.05

Irrigated

0 0

120

Days since 01 April 2011

Figure 5. Free fatty acid content of olives subjected to three irrigation treatments as observed at different harvest times in at Wagga Wagga, NSW (Australia). 40 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

The fatty acid profile is important in determining oil quality and stability. The fatty acid composition of olive oil is influenced by different factors, such as the variety, and agricultural and climate factors. Oleic acid, the major fatty acid in olive oil, was highest in irrigated treatments and lower in the non-irrigated treatments. In all the three irrigation treatments, oleic acid increased as the fruit ripened. .

Conclusion

Irrigation management is important in ensuring maximum possible yields are achieved, while at the same time maintaining good quality oil. Increased irrigation levels can lead to higher fruit set and a greater overall oil yield per hectare, however high moisture contents in the fruits can lead to difficulties with oil extractability during mechanical extraction of the oil. Growers should have a good understanding of their grove system, including soil characteristics, irrigation delivery systems, varietal differences, growth stages and weather conditions when developing irrigation strategies and harvest times.

0.30

Free fatty acid (% oleic acid)

lower free fatty acid. Free fatty acid generally increased during the ripening period (Fig. 5).

Contact: Ketema Zeleke, School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences, Charles Sturt University. E: kzeleke@csu.edu.au. Source: Zeleke and Ayton, Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment, 2014, 12, 458464.

Grove management

Peter McFarlane, Australian Olive Industry Code of Practice (OliveCare™) Administrator

Olive oil sensory defects: the impact of agronomical practices on oil quality It can be assumed that no producer would knowingly enter a faulted oil into Australia’s premier EVOO competition, yet eight oils (4%) were withdrawn from the AIOA competition with suspected defects. According to AOA Head Judge Shane Cummins, the two faults most in evidence this year at the AIOA EVOO competition were “frosted” and “muddy” defects, caused respectively by late harvest of frost damaged fruit, and by problems with oil storage: no one likes to admit to either! The following notes on the impact of agronomical practices on oil quality are provided by international olive processing specialist Pablo Canamasas, who was a senior judge at the inaugural AIOA EVOO competition in September 2017.

Factors in the grove affecting oil quality

Frost: a sudden or gradual temperature change in the fruit that impacts both on free fatty acid (FFA) content and peroxide value (PV). The PV tends to increase more sharply than the FFA, although both parameters are affected equally. Also, a clear defect on the nose appears, usually associated with wet hay notes or stewed fruit aroma. A typical characteristic of this problem is the “sweetness” notes in the palate, due to the fact that the frost wipes away most of the polyphenols responsible for the bitterness and pungency of the oils. Diseases: we all know by now that fungal diseases impact heavily on the fermentation status of the oil. This is because the micelia of the fungus degrades the pulp and ferments the oil contained in the cells. Therefore the most important chemical parameter affected in this case is the FFA (which measures the level of fermentation in the oil). However, there is also an impact on the sensorial quality of the oil, as affected oils develop a characteristic fermentative defect of “fungal” character. Pests: the olive fly may not be present in Australia but it is widely spread in many other olive oil production areas, particularly in Europe and the USA. The worm that grows from feeding on the pulp ferments the oil, so the main parameter affected by this pest is the FFA. On the nose, a typical “grubby” defect shows up. Old/mummified fruit presence: this is becoming more and more frequent in large groves using mechanical harvesting. Certain varieties feature a strong attachment of the fruit to the stem of the branch, making it difficult to remove the fruit from the canopy of the trees. This is a particularly significant problem in low-cropped harvest years following a heavy cropping year, as the fruit that was not mechanically removed the year before rots on the canopy of the tree and never detaches from it. The new crop is then picked with the old berries and their presence in the new season fruit has a significant impact on oil quality: particularly on FFA, although an impact on PV could also be observed. On the nose, a characteristic “woody” character can be perceived. Olive cultivars such as Arbosana,

Frost damage creates a clear defect of wet hay or stewed fruit aroma, along with “sweetness” notes on the palate. Image courtesy Vera Sergeeva.

Coratina, Arbequina and Koroneiki have a tendency to show this problem. Over-ripe fruit: as we know from Spanish oils made from fruit picked in February-March in the North Hemisphere, the over-ripe condition of the fruit gives way to classic “winey” and related fermentative defects. Additionally, over-ripe fruit is less tolerant of handling mistakes or delays and it tends to mash up and compact more easily, which in due time gives way to anaerobic fermentations that lead to “fusty” aromas. Harvest/processing delay: as the fruit continues to breathe and consequently raises its temperature after being picked, delays in processing can lead to anaerobic and aerobic fermentations that impact on both FFA and the sensorial profile of the oils. The typical “fusty” and “musty” defects usually appear at this stage of the process. Harvest time: the different harvest timeframes in a season will obviously have an impact on the quality of the oil, since the fruit maturity evolves as time goes by. For this reason “early harvest” oils are different to “late harvest” oils, as distinctive varieties display different aromas depending on their ripening stage. Presence of leaves: poor leaf removal from fruit batches can lead to the production of oils with a distinctive “leafy” (dry, extremely chlorophyllic) flavour. Up until recent times in Italy, adding leaves to fruit batches was a popular technique to increase oil colour and bitterness in the oils, however this increase in the character and colour of the oil is only temporary, while the rough/astringent notes on the palate remain. Tree fertilisation: some research work has shown excess of Nitrogen fertilisation to be associated with the production of oils with lower polyphenol content. Tree irrigation: water-stressed trees produce oils with higher polyphenol content. This is because polyphenols are formed through the same chemical pathway as lignins, which are produced by the tree to protect itself from hard external conditions. This may give way to unbalanced oils that are extremely bitter or with harsh astringent notes. Seasonal conditions: extremely hot summers tend to have a similar Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 41

Grove management

Extra banana

Virgin Olive Oil Descriptors

tropical fruit

tomato leaf

olive

rocket

green apple

salad leaf

tomato

rancid

fresh nuts

metallic

pea shoots

guava

spices

green grass

eucalyptus

artichoke

tobacco leaf

citrus

peach

chilli

cucumber

passionfruit

herbs

pepper

floral

cooked/frosted

dead ant

fusty

Oils with these smells or tastes are NOT Extra Virgin l

mouldy hay

winey

sala

musty

blue cheese

baby’s vomit

cucumber

win

mush

room

old bread

rth

parm

esan

muddy sediment

car am e

nies

pen

vineg

old walnuts peanuts

old

cks

smelly so

stewed fruit

te but

This great graphic of Extra Virgin Olive Oil descriptors was created by Debbie Worgan, an expert taster and long-time member of the Wagga Wagga Sensory Panel. It’s a fabulous visual tool for identifying the flavours and aromas found in EVOO and has helped many a taster find a descriptor they just couldn’t quite otherwise grasp. It could help you do so too – and the customers at your farm shop or farmers market stall will find it invaluable!If you’re keen to access a copy of the poster, Debbie can provide both hard copy and digital print-ready versions. Contact her at dworgan@exemail.com. au to find out more. 42 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

Grove management

impact on oil quality as in the case of water-stressed trees. Certain climatic conditions, particularly during early autumn while the fruit is still developing, can also lead to sudden changes in fruit maturity that have an impact on oil quality.

Olive oil defects due to fruit condition

If the tasting panel agrees that it can detect any of the following negative undesirable defects then the product is not EVOO: Frosty: flavours of vanilla, wet wood, wet hay, stewed fruit. These flavours come from frosted fruits on the tree that that have thawed out. Fusty: this defect is typical of olive pomace paste, tapenade, olive mill waste pond and black pickled mushy olives. Fustiness results from ripe olives, especially if stored in piles, sacks, overfilled crates or poorly ventilated containers, which warm up and allow anaerobic (without air) fermentation to develop. Growth of bacteria (Enterobacter, Clostridium, Pseudomonas) allows fustiness to develop within 3-4 days. Ideally, olives should be stored in containers allowing airflow from all sides and which are not more than 300mm deep. Chemically, the fustiness defect is associated with n-octane, generated from the decomposition of 10-hydroperoxide and isoamyl alcohol formed during fermentation. Musty: the musty defect is typical of sweaty socks, gym clothes bag, wet carpet, mouldy hay, yeasty and mushroom. This defect comes from fruit in which large numbers of fungi, moulds (Penicillium, Aspergillus) and yeasts have developed as a result of having been stored in humid conditions, especially in piles. Mustiness can set in after 4-6 days under poor storage conditions. Winey/vinegary/acid/sour: this defect is typical of fermented red apples, nail polish, solvent or yeasts. The flavour perceived is reminiscent of wine and vinegar due to aerobic (with air) fermentation in the olives where storage yeasts predominate over some bacteria. Sugars convert to ethanol (alcohol) and acetic acid (vinegar), and ethanol plus acetic acid produces ethyl acetate (an aromatic ester). Dried and mummified fruit: defective olive oil can have characteristics of dry hay, pips (stones), wood or mouldy straw when the oil has been made from fruit affected by drought or desiccated through extended cool room refrigeration. This defect is also found in oils made from mummified fruit (old fruit from previous years). Olives diseased with anthracnose (partly mummified) drop prematurely from trees, resulting in yield loss, and when pressed produce a very turbid and highly acidic reddish oil of poor quality. Grubby: distinctive dirty flavour, obtained from olives that have been heavily attacked by olive fly (Bactocera oleae). The olive fly lays eggs in the developing olive and the larvae feed on the pulp. Olive fly attack increases the FFA content. Earthy: earthy sensation, dirty, sandy feel in the mouth. This defect occurs when olives are collected with earth or mud on them and not washed properly. It can also result from washing with dirty dam water. Briny: the flavour of olive oil produced from olives preserved in brine.

Olive oil defects due to crushing/malaxation:

Metallic: sensation of metals, tins, rusty nails, grinding dust. Metallic flavours occur in oil which has been in prolonged contact with metallic surfaces during crushing, mixing, pressing or storage. New equipment or equipment starting up for the first time in the season may impart metallic flavours to the oil. Burnt/heated: sensation of burnt caramel, honey, boiled vegetables. This defective flavour is caused by excessive temperature and/or prolonged heating during processing, especially crushing and malaxation. Vegetable water: with this defect the olive oil has a flavour reminiscent of vegetable water due to prolonged contact with olive mill water.

Olive oil defects due to olive oil storage:

Rancid: rancidity defect is typical of old oils, stale walnuts, old butter,

meats, wax crayons, old lipstick or putty. This defect is caused by the oxidation of the oil over time which is accelerated at high temperatures and through contact with oxygen. Oils with low polyphenols and high FFA will oxidise faster. Greasy: affected olive oil has a taste and mouth feel reminiscent of diesel oil, grease or mineral oil. As with rancidity, this defect indicates the oil is oxidised. Muddy sediment: this defect is reminiscent of salami, bacon, fetid milk, baby vomit, sewer dregs and cheese. Muddy sediment refers to the taste imparted into oils that sit at the bottom of tanks for prolonged periods. Sediment made up of plant debris, enzymes, proteins and glucosides forms at the bottom of containers and can give the oil the flavour of vegetable water, or a putrid effect if the dregs undergo anaerobic fermentation. As little as 0.5% sediment can be a problem. Excessive contact of oil with sediment can increase the FFA content, lowering the oil quality.

Positive attributes

On the flipside, of course, are the many and varied desirable characteristics of high quality, extra virgin olive oil, which we do want to find in our oils to provide a sensory symphony. Here’s a list to help you identify them, and describe them to your customers: Apple/green apple: indicative of certain olive varietals. Almond: nutty (fresh, not oxidised). Artichoke: “green” flavour. Astringent: puckering sensation in the mouth created by tannins; often associated with bitter, robust oils. Banana: ripe and unripe banana fruit. Bitter: considered a positive attribute because it is indicative of fresh olive fruit. Buttery: creamy, smooth sensation on palate. Eucalyptus: aroma of specific olive varietals. Floral: perfume/aroma of flowers. Forest: fresh aroma reminiscent of forest floor, not dirty. Fresh: good aroma; fruity, not oxidised. Fruity: refers to the aroma of fresh olive fruit, which is perceived through the nostrils and retro-nasally when the oil is in one’s mouth. Grass: the aroma of fresh-cut (mown) grass. Green: aroma/flavour of unripe olives. Green tea: characteristic of some unripe olive varieties. Harmonious: having balance among the oil’s characteristics with none overpowering the others. Hay/straw: dried grass flavour. Herbaceous: unripe olive fruit reminiscent of fresh green herbs. Peppery/pungent: stinging sensation in the throat that can force a cough. Piquant: pleasantly pungent, tart or biting in taste. Ripe: aroma/flavour of ripe olive fruit. Round/rotund: a balanced, mouth-filling sensation of harmonious flavours. Spice: aroma/flavour of seasonings such as cinnamon, allspice (but not herbs or pepper). Sweet: not sugary, characteristic of delicate oils. Tomato/tomato leaf: indicative of certain olive varietals. Tropical: indicative of ripe olive fruit with nuances of melon, mango and coconut. Walnut/walnut shell: nutty (fresh, not oxidised). Wheatgrass: strong flavour of some green olive fruit. Woody: indicative of olive varietals with large pits. AOA Code of Practice OliveCare® is a continuous improvement program that aims to foster excellence in Australian olive oil products through adoption of voluntary standards and sharing of production information and experiences. For more information, or to become an OliveCare® signatory, contact Code Administrator Peter McFarlane via peter@mc.com.au or ph: 08 8376 2161.

Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 43

New Zealand

Tribute to Andrew Taylor Gayle Sheridan, Executive Officer, Olive New Zealand Members and the wider industry have been sorry to hear that Andrew Taylor decided not to be available for re-election to President at this year’s AGM, being held this month. Andrew took over as President in 2009 at a tumultuous time for the organisation and has worked tirelessly to position the organisation into its current healthy situation. It is therefore timely to acknowledge and show appreciation for Andrew’s vast contribution to the industry. As well as being a great leader, Andrew has an unsurpassed knowledge of the olive industry. This comes obviously as an olive grove owner himself, and major contractor to the industry, but also with the knowledge he has brought in from other horticultural sectors. Andrew has given freely of his time to both national and regional activities. Members may be unaware, for example that Andrew dedicates two weeks each year to look after the NZ EVOO Awards Judges and to take the Head Judge and other guests on their tour of the regions. He has always been available and willing to attend regional field days, provide advice to aspiring and existing grove owners, and often the Taylor ‘family’ holidays have involved visiting olive groves in a particular region. On Andrew’s regular visits to the Northern Hemisphere he has welcomed other olive growers to join on visits to groves, processing plants etc. On one of these excursions he also stopped over in Tokyo to provide NZ EVOO for a special tasting event there, and his attendance was seen as a great honour. Of course supporting Andrew has been his wife Delyth; patient and supportive and available to help out at Olives NZ activities. Delyth’s contribution has also been much appreciated. Andrew has provided wise counsel to the Executive, Executive Officer, members and other growers and hopefully this will continue to be able to be drawn upon into the future. Finishing in his usual hands-on style, Andrew will be happy to hand over to his successor at the AGM and will then host attendees at the field day at the Mohaka olive grove.

Andrew Taylor has added Focus Grove Project consultant to his Olives NZ President’s role over the past two years, advising on grove practices during the project’s regular field days. After nine years at the helm Taylor is stepping down at this year’s AGM, leaving a healthy, revitalised national industry in new leadership hands.

He can be happy in the knowledge that he leaves Olives New Zealand and the industry in very good health. Thank you Andrew! Andrew Taylor has also been an ongoing contributor to Olivegrower & Processor, both in his role as ONZ President and a consultant/grower. We thank him for his time and valuable contributions, and wish him all the best in his life post-presidency.

Processing Practices seminar – Aussies welcome! Want to know how to get the best oil from your fruit? Don’t miss your chance to learn the hows, whys and why nots of processing at Olive New Zealand’s “How Processing Practice impacts on Quality and Quantity” seminar, being held in Auckland on 9-10 April 2018. Following enthusiastic feedback from the 2017 event, the seminar will again be run by internationally-acclaimed expert Pablo Canamasas, returning from Argentina for the event. ONZ EO Gayle Sheridan said the knowledge shared at the seminar is of prime importance to all growers and producers. “How processing practices impact on the quality and quantity of the product produced is a hot topic for everyone in the olive industry - particularly with reports from members that winning Gold medals is a major differentiator in selling their oil at a reasonable price,” she said.

A session of last year’s seminar, held at Wells Grove Estate.

Cost for the two day course is $500 (incl GST) for Olives NZ members or $1,000 (incl GST) for non-members. Australian producers are also welcome, and AOA members can attend at the Olives NZ members rate.

44 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

Email admin@olivesnz.org.nz for a registration form: places are limited, so reserve yours now.

New Zealand

Focus Grove Project consultant Dr Stuart Tustin talks pruning with participants at one of the September 2017 grove visits.

Extension to Olives NZ Focus Grove Project Olives NZ has successfully applied for an extension to its Focus Grove Project, which will now run through to the end of October 2019. Executive Officer Gayle Sheridan said the extension will allow two more rounds of grove field days to be undertaken, in October 2018 and March 2019 respectively, deemed necessary as a result of last year’s problematic harvest. “The 2017 harvest year was one of the worst on record, with 40% of New Zealand olive groves having no harvest,” she said. “Primarily this was due to adverse weather conditions from February to July, resulting in fruit not maturing and not being able to be harvested. However, some growers will have attributed the poor performance to biennial bearing. It is anticipated that 2018 will be a boom harvest or “on year” and it is necessary therefore to continue for another year to show that an “off year” will not happen in 2019. “Extending the project by 12 months will therefore enable the research to prove that the methodologies being utilised are in fact the key to increasing production. It is important that we are able to prove the methodologies unconditionally and without the confusion of biennial bearing. “Fortunately the project had been oversubscribed by our members and industry

supporters, so there were sufficient funds to meet the co-funding requirement.” Industry involvement Sheridan said the additional rounds of Focus Grove field days required will again be overseen by the two project consultants, Dr Stuart Tustin from Plant and Food Research and industry management consultant Andrew Taylor, and will be complemented with two additional rounds of Regional Field Days. “This will continue our practice of providing the greatest opportunity for industry involvement and learning from the project,” Sheridan said. “Viewing the intervention results first-hand, and hearing from the grove owners themselves about their practices and experiences, is invaluable in making the information real and accessible to other growers – and improves the likelihood that they will adopt the project methodologies themselves in the future to increase their own production and profitability.” The funding extension will also enable production of a final Focus Grove Project Review Report which, like previous reports and Fact Sheets, will be made available to members on the Olives NZ website.

March 2018 Focus Grove Project field day dates: Thursday 15 - Nelson Friday 16 - Canterbury Monday 19 - Wairarapa Wednesday 21 - Northland Friday 23 - Hawke’s Bay Enquiries or register your attendance to admin@olivesnz.org.nz

Future direction

Sheridan said the success of the project to date has spurred the organisation to plan a continuation past the current timeframe and parameters. “The intention is to apply, this year, for a second follow-on Focus Grove project, starting in October 2019 – “the next 5kgs”. This will introduce other factors rather than just the canopy management and disease management, which are the focus of the current project.” We’ll report on the outcomes of the March Focus Grove field days in the June edition of Olivegrower & Processor.

Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 45

New Zealand

Argentinian expertise for 2018 NZ EVOO Awards The Head Judge for the 2018 NZ EVOO Awards is Esteban Santipolio, an Argentinian industry expert and international olive oil judge. An agronomist, Santipolio is manager of CIASA, an agricultural consultancy developing horticultural projects internationally, including olive businesses. He is also a respected international olive oil judge, with past roles including Argoliva (Argentina) since 2011, the New York International Olive Oil Competition since 2014 and Sudoliva (South America) since 2017. Santipolio said he is looking forward to his judging visit, which will be his first to New Zealand, and has a list of things he wants to learn about olive-growing there. “I know most of the olive places in the world, including Australian olive production,” he said. “I work closely as the local partner of an Australian company that evaluated an olive investment in San Juan, Argentina, so I have visited them in Victoria three times. “I don’t know so much about New Zealand olive culture but I work in Uruguay and southern Brazil, both high humidity climates for olives, and I know that the climate conditions in New Zealand are different to the olive’s origin climate conditions of the Mediterranean. “So this will be the most important point for me to analyse, the elasticity of the olive tree to adapt and produce in different climates. “I also want to see what varieties are used, and find out if they have a program of trials to introduce new varieties. “After the NZ EVOO Competition judging I will have time to study the climate conditions in the different olive grove places we will visit, like Northland, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Nelson and Canterbury. So finally evaluating the olive oil obtained, it will be possible to make a relation between climate and the oil characteristics.”

in Argentina” at the Olives NZ Conference in October, and present the Best in Show Trophy at the Awards Dinner,” she said. “So members will have plenty of opportunities to meet and speak with him – and no doubt learn from his vast practical knowledge and expertise.”

2018 NZ EVOO Awards Judging Panel

The 2018 NZ EVOO Awards Head Judge is Argentinian expert Esteban Santipolio.

2018 NZ EVOO and Flavoured Oils Awards Entries open: 13 August Entries closing: 14 September Judging: 1-3 October Awards Presentation Dinner: 13 October Entry fees: $250 each for first three entries, $100 each for subsequent entries.

Other activities

ONZ EO Gayle Sheridan said leading the EVOO judging is just one of the industry activities Santipolio has organised for his New Zealand visit. “When the Awards judging is completed Esteban will attend the regional Focus Grove Project Field Days and run tasting seminars. He will also present a paper “Olive Growing

CLASSIFIEDS

Reach your target market with Olivebiz Classifieds: www.olivebiz.com.au/classifieds 46 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

Joining Santipolio on the 2018 judging panel are: Shane Cummins - Australia: founding member of Long Paddock Olive Rustlers, member of the Australian Olive Oil Sensory Panel since 2009 and experienced show judge, now head judge of the Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA). Dr Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay – Australia: food scientist specialising in sensory and consumer science, trained member of the Australian Olive Oil Sensory Panel, judge at Sydney Royal Fine Food Show and AIOA, organising member of the AOA “TasteBook” program. Georges Feghali: Lebanese olive oil expert, licenced in food technology and agricultural technology, extensive involvement in the olive industry in Lebanon, member of the NZ EVOO Awards judging panel since 2016. Ed Scott, Moutere Grove – Nelson: olive grower since 1996, processor since 2002, completed IOOC EVOO sensory evaluation courses, 11 times NZ EVOO awards judge. Rachel Costello, Villa Grove, Nelson: member Olives NZ IOC sensory panel, Savantes trained in 2002 and 2004, experienced NZ olive oil judge, renowned for superior olive oil palate. For more information at www.olivesnz.org.nz/ awards or contact Gayle Sheridan at admin@ olivesnz.org.nz.

Olive business

Need harvest workers? The Federal Government’s Seasonal Work Incentives Trial (SWIT) could be the answer. The two year trial, operating from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2019, encourages participants to take up short term work placements in the horticultural industry, to help address the seasonal labour demands of growers.

Who’s eligible?

Participants who have been receiving Newstart or Youth Allowance for a minimum of three months and take up seasonal horticultural work like harvesting crops under the SWIT, may be able to earn up to $5,000 without reducing their payments. They are also eligible to receive a Living Away and Travel Allowance of up to $300 per year if the work is located more than 120km from their home. The trial is being managed by jobactive, Transition to Work and Disability Employment Services providers, who work closely with growers to ensure they get the right help to meet their needs.

What is qualifying seasonal horticultural work?

Qualifying seasonal horticultural work for the trial includes short term work such as picking and packing fruit, nuts or other crops in rural or regional Australia. It can include one or more of the following activities: • harvesting of crops, including olives • pruning and trimming fruit trees • chipping and weeding • operating harvesting equipment • planting • irrigating • packing.

How can I take part?

Growers can contact their nearest employment service provider to discuss their work needs. Contact details are on the jobactive website – www.jobsearch.gov.au/serviceproviders. More information: www.jobs.gov.au/seasonal-work-incentives-trial or email SWIT@employment.gov.au.

Increase your pumping and pipeline efficiency As the price of energy rises, pumping and pipeline system inefficiencies increase the cost of irrigation operations. Two courses being offered by River Murray Training enable irrigators to identify potential energy savings in pumping and pump station design – from the comfort and convenience of your own home or business, no matter where you are in Australia or New Zealand. • Advanced Pumping & Hydraulics (AP&H) highlights energy efficiency application to existing pumps and pipeline design; • Advanced Pump System Design (APSD) highlights advanced design concepts for new pump and pipelines systems.

The courses are delivered by Tallemenco’s Rob Welke, a 49-year veteran of the irrigation and water supply industry. Training is delivered as two-hour sessions in a fully-interactive online meeting room and follow up tutorials, saving travelling time and money. Courses for 2018 commence on May 8 and July 24. Book now with Barb McPherson (RMT): 0417 824 442 or barb.mcpherson@r-m-t. com.au; or Rob Welke: 0414 492 256 or rob@talle.biz. More information: www.talle.biz.

How’s your mental health? Life can get tough sometimes, and anxiety, depression and other mental health issues can affect many of us at one time or another – in fact, right now three million Australians are living with anxiety or depression. But assistance is available, with a range of mental health services providing support at any time of day. The beyondblue website - www.beyondblue.org.au - provides information and support to assist everyone in Australia to achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live. Visit the website, or call the beyondblue Support Service on 1300 22 4636 for support and advice. And the Black Dog Institute’s website - www.blackdoginstitute.org. au - has a wealth of information on topics including: mental health and wellbeing; self-tests for depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder; e-mental health tools; getting help and helping others; and telehealth services. 24/7 counselling and support is also available from Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or Lifeline New Zealand on 0800 543 354.

If you need emergency assistance, please contact 000 (Aust) or 111 (NZ).

Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 47

Recipe … for success

EVOO fruit crumble The first early signs of autumn are appearing, and before we know it we’ll all be rugged up and enduring another long, cold winter. How many of us will tuck into hot, hearty puddings to keep us warm? And then feel a little guilty about all those bad fats, no doubt. Well guilt no more: here’s a version of the much loved winter fruit crumble that not only tastes divine but is also wonderfully good for you, thanks to a combination of fresh fruit, rolled oats and EVOO. And did we mention that it’s incredibly quick, simple and freezes perfectly - so you can make one for dinner and one for the farmers market stall, all in less than half an hour. Happy family and happy customers: that’s gotta be a recipe for success!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 slow-poached or preserved quinces, cored and chopped • 3-4 slow-poached apples, cored and chopped • Topping: • 1 cup quick-cook oats • 1 cup plain flour • 3/4 cup brown sugar • 1 tspn cinnamon • 1/4 tspn cloves • 1/4-1/3 cup EVOO (depending on how ‘short’ you like it)

Method: 1.

2. 3. 4. 5.

Mix the two fruits, adding a little of the poaching liquid, and 2/3 fill a large ovenproof baking dish – or make multiple individual serves using ramekins. Combine the dry topping ingredients, drizzle over the EVOO and mix with a fork until fairly evenly dispersed. It won’t be as moist as traditional butter-laden crumble topping. Spoon a good thick layer of topping over the fruit, leaving space at the top so the juices don’t spill over. Place on a tray in a moderate oven (180C) and bake for around 30 mins, until topping has browned and juice is bubbling at the sides. Serve topped with natural yoghurt (healthy option), cream or ice-cream (indulgent options but maybe okay ‘sometimes’ foods, given you’ve used EVOO in the pud!).

48 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018 • Issue 107

Notes:

To poach fruit, de-fluff quinces and place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 5-6 cloves and orange or lemon rind. Just cover with water and cook until starting to soften. Add apples and continue cooking until both are soft. Use the leftover poaching liquid for cakes and puddings, or add more sugar and reduce to a delicious syrup for drizzling. And of course you can replace the quince and apple with other fruit (and you’ll need to early in the season, if you don’t have any preserved from last year). This is just my family’s favourite winter combination.

Olives and health

Health round-up Continuing our regular round-up of the latest relevant health research from around the world, to keep you up to date and in the know…

Olive + eucalyptus oils a winning combo for skin wound repair A new study has found that a combination of olive oil and eucalyptus oil is beneficial in the healing of skin wounds, assisting in the reduction of the associated pain, scarring and incidence of infection. Researchers at the University of Pavia, Italy set out to develop lipid nanoparticles (solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers [NLC]) containing eucalyptus or rosemary essential oils, to be used medically to enhance skin wound healing. The nanoparticles were based on natural lipids: cocoa butter, olive oil and sesame oil, with lecithin as a surfactant to stabilize and prevent aggregation. They were characterized for various physicalchemical properties: bioadhesion (adhesion of material to biological surfaces) cytocompatibility (maintenance of positive cell functions), in vitro proliferation enhancement (promotion of cell growth) and wound healing properties toward normal human dermal fibroblasts (regenerative skin cells). Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against

two microbial strains, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes, and promotion of wound healing was also evaluated in vivo on a rat burn model. The results found that NLC based on olive oil and containing eucalyptus oil showed good bioadhesion, cytocompatibility, in vitro proliferation enhancement and antimicrobial-associated wound healing properties. The researchers also found that “the in vivo results evidenced the capability of these NLC to enhance the healing process” and that “Olive oil, which is characterized by a high content of oleic acid, proved to exert a synergic effect with eucalyptus oil with respect to antimicrobial activity and wound repair promotion.” Source: Saporito et al; www.doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S152529.

MedDiet + EVOO/nuts = healthier pregnancy and babies Spanish researchers have found that women who eat a Mediterranean diet with additional EVOO and pistachios have healthier pregnancies, better birth experiences and healthier babies. The study, published in the journal PLOS one, focused primarily on the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and was undertaken at the Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid. The randomized controlled trial evaluated the incidence of GDM with two different dietary models: Intervention Group (IG) - Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) supplemented with EVOO and pistachios; Control Group (CG) - standard diet with limited fat intake. A number of other outcomes were also assessed. A total of 874 women completed the study (440 CG/434 IG), with 177 diagnosed with GDM at 24-28 weeks, 103 (23.4%) in CG and 74

(17.1%) in IG. The IG also had significantly reduced rates of insulintreated GDM, preterm delivery, gestational weight gain, emergency caesarean section and perineal trauma. The incidence of small and large for gestational age (SGA and LGA) newborns was also reduced in the IG. The researchers concluded that “An early nutritional intervention with a supplemented MedDiet reduces the incidence of GDM and improves several maternal and neonatal outcomes.” Source: www.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185873; Assaf-Balut et al.

And here’s why … A Virginia Tech research team has found at least one part of the secret behind the health benefits of olives and olive oil, particularly in relation to type 2 diabetes. Published recently in the journal Biochemistry, the team’s findings show that the compound oleuropein helps the body secrete more insulin, a central signaling molecule in the body that controls metabolism. Oleuropein also detoxifies amylin, another signaling molecule that in type 2 diabetes over-produces and forms harmful aggregates. Both of these actions aid in preventing the onset of disease. Providing “new mechanistic insights into the long-standing question of why olive products can be anti- diabetic”, the researchers hope the

findings will “also have an impact on the general public to pay more attention to olive products in light of the current diabetes epidemic.” They also increase the scientific basis of olive health benefits and may assist in the development of new low-cost “nutraceuticals” to fight type 2 diabetes and related obesity. Source: www.phys.org; Ling Wu et al.

doi:

10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00199;

Just another reason to love Friday ... To subscribe and for more information visit: www.olivebiz.com.au Issue 107 • March 2018 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 49

your calendar of olive events

2018 Mar

Jul

March 15-23 ONZ Focus Grove Project field days – various regions, NZ www.olivesnz.org.nz

Apr

April 9-10 Olives NZ Processing Seminar - Auckland, NZ www.olivesnz.org.nz April 12 Registration closes, OLIVE JAPAN® 2018 International Olive Oil Competition – Tokyo, Japan www.olivejapan.com April 15-18 Sol&Agrifood – Verona, Italy www.solagrifood.com

Jun

July 6 Closing date for Invitation to Participate, Australian Golden Olive Awards – Rutherglen, VIC www.australianoliveawards.com.au July 10-11 ExpoAzeite 2018 International Exhibition of Olive Oil & Olives - São Paulo, Brasil www.expoazeite.com.br

March 19-23 IRTA Olive Oil Evaluation Course - Barcelona, Spain www.oliveoilevaluationcourse.com March 24 2018 Olives NZ AGM – Napier, NZ www.olivesnz.org.nz

What’s on

July 16 Entries open, 2018 Australian International Olive Awards - Australia www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au

Aug

August 20 Entries open, 2018 Hunter Valley Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW treasurer@hunterolives.asn.au

Sep

September 21 Entries close, 2018 Australian International Olive Awards www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au

Oct

October 5 Entries close, 2018 Hunter Valley Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW treasurer@hunterolives.asn.au

April 21 Horticulture for Olive Growers – Nangkita, SA olives@nangkita.com.au

October 13 2018 ONZ Conference & NZ EVOO Awards Dinner – Masterton, NZ www.olivesnz.org.nz

April 22 Fleurieu Olive Harvest Open Day - Nangkita, SA www.tastingaustralia.com.au

October 14 Olives NZ grove visit – Wairarapa, NZ www.olivesnz.org.nz

April 23-26 New York International Olive Oil Competition – New York, USA www.nyoliveoil.com

October 18-19 AOA National Olive Industry Conference & Exhibition 2018 – Wagga Wagga, NSW www.australianolives.com.au

June 8-9 OLIVE JAPAN 2018 International Trade Show – Tokyo www.olivejapan.com

October 19 2018 Australian International Olive Awards Presentation Dinner - Wagga Wagga, NSW www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au

June 24-26 Fine Food New Zealand – Auckland, NZ www.finefoodnz.co.nz

November 15 Presentation dinner, 2018 Hunter Valley Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW treasurer@hunterolives.asn.au

Nov

Advertiser index Client

Page

Client

Pieralisi Eclipse Modern Olives Novozymes Sicma Micro Tornado NSW DPI Oil Testing Service New Holland

2 5 7 91 10-1 10-11 10-1 13 15

Task Automation Netafim Closures Online MX-Bio Costante Imports Olive Oil Packaging Service Deltagen Australian Olive Association Braud

Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2018• Issue 107

Page

19 21 22 31 33 35 39 51 52

efit Member Ben

Conference ....... $95 n x1 ............ o ti a tr is eg R .... $20 x1 .............. er n in D A AIO ..... $150 Fee x1 ........ y tr n E A AIO

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**El Cultivo Del Olivo Book on joining $165 RRP

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for Olive oil and olive pomace oil AS 5264-2011

✓ Australian

International Olive Awards

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The

Olive Awards

www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia .com .au

✓ AOA National

✓ Biosecurity

management

✓ Grower field days

✓ AOA Facebook page ✓ Tastebook program

✓ Industry AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL

Awareness & Education Campaigns – Everyday, Fresher Tastes Better!

and reporting and seminars

✓ Code of Practice

✓ Consumer

✓ Market surveillance

Industry Conference & Exhibition

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marketing merchandise

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communications – Olivegrower & Processor, Friday Olive Extracts, Olivebiz

✓ Registered pesticide minor use permits holder for industry

✓ Voice of Horticulture Membership

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND

& NATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE OLIVE INDUSTRY

✓ NFF Horticulture

Council Membership

✓ Industry Risk and

Crisis Management

The Australian Olive Association is the prescribed industry body representing all olive growers, certified importers and service providers in Australia since 1995. JOIN TODAY and take advantage of the many member benefits and services. Email Liz at secretariat@australianolives.com.au

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