Traditional Olive Tree Varieties in Alto Aragón (NE Spain): Molecular Characterization, Single-Varietal Oils, and Monumental Trees

Recovering minority olive tree varieties helps preserve genetic diversity and contributes to sustainable agriculture practices. The International Olive Council has recognized the importance of conserving olive tree genetic resources and the European Union’s Horizon Europe program has identified the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAgriculture (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 12; p. 2204
Main Authors Serreta-Oliván, Alfredo, Sancho-Cohen, Rubén, Sánchez-Gimeno, Ana Cristina, Martín-Ramos, Pablo, Cuchí-Oterino, José Antonio, Casanova-Gascón, José
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.12.2023
Subjects
Agricultural practices
Analysis
Biological diversity
Crop diversification
Cultivars
EST-SNP
Fruit trees
Genetic diversity
Genetic resources
Germplasm
Huesca
LIDAR
monumental trees
Morphology
Oils & fats
Olea europaea
Organoleptic properties
Plantations
Protection and preservation
Single-nucleotide polymorphism
Surveys
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable food systems
Sustainable practices
Tourism
Trees
Greece
Portugal
Spain
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Summary:Recovering minority olive tree varieties helps preserve genetic diversity and contributes to sustainable agriculture practices. The International Olive Council has recognized the importance of conserving olive tree genetic resources and the European Union’s Horizon Europe program has identified the preservation of crop diversity as a priority for sustainable food systems. In the work presented herein, old olive groves in the province of Huesca (NE Spain), managed according to the traditional model, were surveyed, sampled, and analyzed using molecular characterization techniques (based on EST-SNPs markers). Twenty-nine new varieties were identified and deposited in IFAPA’s World Germplasm Bank of Olive Varieties. In the first step towards their valorization, eight single-varietal oils from Alto Aragon varieties were produced and characterized, and their organoleptic properties were evaluated, paving the way for the production of differentiated quality oils. Furthermore, ancient olive trees were selected and 3D scanned to promote their protection as singular or monumental trees and for oleo-tourism purposes. The reported findings highlight the rich olive-growing heritage of this northernmost frontier of olive tree cultivation in Spain.
ISSN:2077-0472
2077-0472
DOI:10.3390/agriculture13122204