Rootstock Breeding Tolerant to Verticillium in Olive (Olea europaea)

Abstract

Olive is one of the indispensable elements of all world cuisines, especially in countries with a coast to the Mediterranean. An average of 17 million tons of olives and 3 million tons of olive oil are produced from approximately 900 million olive trees each year. This production yield increases the popularity of olives day by day. Due to the effects of changing living conditions on diet, the increase in demand for olive oil has a very important role in this. This situation further increases the strategic importance of olives and olive oil. Due to this importance, the different problems in the supply of olive oil have serious effects on the market. The disruptions in olive oil supply are mostly due to seasonal climatic conditions. However, it is useful to know that there are disruptions that may adversely affect olive and olive oil production in the medium and long term. Due to global climate changes, factors such as drought, flood, and disease have started to be experienced frequently in olive production areas recently. This situation needs to be taken into consideration more in olive breeding studies. Keeping olives away from biotic and abiotic stresses can be possible with appropriate cultivation techniques and breeding studies. One of the most important biotic problems of olive is Verticillium disease. This disease has begun to spread to very large areas in parallel with climate change and mechanization in agriculture. Since there are serious studies on plant health, rootstock breeding studies appear as one of the most important solutions in breeding studies. The Eastern Mediterranean Region the homeland of olives, has an abundant olive genetic plantation. This abundance can be a solution for the prevention of Verticillium disease in olives by making olive rootstock breeding studies.