PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS OF SOME MATURITY PARAMETERS OF DRUPES ON 39 ITALIAN OLIVE CULTIVARS

Thirty-nine Italian oil or table cultivars, from the collection of the Istituto di Coltivazioni Arboree of Perugia University, were examined in 1983, 1984 and 1987. The drupe fresh weight varied from 0.5 g (‘Olivago Sabino’) to 4.0 g (‘Passalunara’). The dry weight varied from 0.4 g ‘Olivago Sabino’ to 2.1 g (‘Passalunara’) and in the last stage of fruit maturity it continued to increase in some cultivars. The oil content, refered to fresh weight, was between 13.3% (‘Olivago Sabino’) and 26.4% (‘Laurina’). Between November 11 and December 16 the increase in oil content, as percentage of initial content, was from 8.8 (‘Rastellina’) to 78.9% (‘Correggiolo’). Removal force ranged from 317.2 g (‘Sargano’) to 542.6 g (‘Cerignola’) and decreased during maturation according to cultivars.