Climate conditions key factor in olive oil quality: Study
Climate conditions such as temperature and rainfall play a decisive role in olive cultivation, while excessive heat and cold stress negatively affect both yield and quality, according to an analysis published in the Olive Research Institute Journal of Türkiye’s Agriculture and Forestry Ministry.
The study said future climate projections point to a wide range of risks for perennial crops such as olive trees, including shrinking water resources, disruptions in physiological processes, shifts in phenological cycles and declines in both production and product quality.
Researchers noted that rising temperatures and higher evaporation rates, particularly across the Mediterranean climate zone where olive cultivation is widespread, are expected to extend growing seasons, alter flowering periods and accelerate fruit ripening.
These changes could lead to shifts in harvest timing and adversely affect both maturity levels and quality characteristics of olive products, the analysis said.
