ARI REVIEW FOR 2016-2017

Evaluation of traditional wine grape variety Maratheftiko grafted on American rootstocks Evaluation of the traditional wine grape variety Maratheftiko, grafted on the American rootstocks 110 Richter, 3309 Couderc, 41B, 99 Richter, 420A and 140 Ruggeri, has been performed in the Kilani area. The variety is evaluated in terms of yield, fruit quality and earliness. ( S. Savvides ) Management and conservation of grapevine genetic resources The long-term objective of this project is to preserve and study in-situ populations of wild vines as well as old and neglected varieties and to promote their future utilisation. Wild vine plants have been recorded at six locations: Ayia, Stavros tis Psokas, Potamos tou Limniti, Potamos tou Pyrgou, Platys and Saramas. All plants are located along water streams and are found as climbers on the stems of pine and deciduous trees. Until now, more than 200 individual plants have been recorded. Work is still in progress for the in situ evaluation, and morphological characterisation of all individual plants. An ex-situ collection has been established at Saittas Experimental Station with more than 120 wild vine accessions collected from the above locations. ( S. Savvides ) OLIVE CULTURE - OLIVE OIL TECHNOLOGY Conservation, evaluation and management of olive genetic resources Local olive genetic material is under conservation in the ex situ Collection of Olive Genetic Material (OCARICY) situated at the Zygi Experimental Station, in the context of the research project: “Management of the ARI ex situ Collection of Olive Genetic Material”. The main objectives of the project are: a) proper ex situ conservation of the genetic resources; b) characterisation-identification and evaluation of genetic resources; c) implementation of actions for further prospection, collection and installation of local genetic material in the Collection; d) enrichment of the Collection with genetic material from other countries. For identification purposes the evaluation is carried out based on the following elaiographic characteristics of endocarps: shape in position B, length, width in position B, length/width ratio, weight, symmetry in position A, symmetry in position B, number of grooves on basal end, distribution of grooves on basal end, shape of apex in position A, mucron, shape of base in position A, rugosity of surface, position of the maximum transversal diameter in position B as described in the relevant UPOV protocol for olives. ( M.G. Emmanouilidou ) Olive oil characterisation in relation to olive fruit maturity profile and olive fruit postharvest management Olive oil constitutes the main product of olive culture. For the Mediterranean people, olive oil is the main source of oils and fats intake; furthermore, olive oil production and consumption is concentrated almost exclusively in the Mediterranean basin. It is derived from olive fruits ( Olea europaea L.) of various varieties and its extraction from olive fruit requires a series of physicomechanical processes. The various quality standards for olive oil determine the different quality categories of olive oil, with virgin olive oils (extra virgin, virgin, ordinary) comprising the superior categories. The virgin olive oil categories reflect a wide range of variation in physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics. A repository of these characteristics with respect to varietal and edaphoclimatic origins can be an effective tool for product differentiation and for product quality control according to specific qualitative and sensorial consumer requirements. The lack of data concerning the physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics of varietal olive oils produced in Cyprus provided the springboard for launching the present ARI research programme on olive oil characterisation which is a joint project of the Olive Technology Laboratory and the Postharvest Technology Laboratory. In this context, we examine the variety effect, the maturity effect as well as the effect of postharvest handling of olive fruits on the physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics of olive paste and olive oil. The main objectives of the project are: a) varietal characterisation of olive fruit ripening profiles, b) varietal characterisation of olive fruit post- 24 Fruit Trees