About Olive Growing Introduction History Prospects Climatic Requirements Soil Requirements Cultivar Choice Orchard Establishment Orchard Management - Nutrition /Fertilising Orchard Management - Irrigation Orchard Management - Weed management Orchard Management - Pruning and Training Orchard Management - Pest and Disease Management Orchard Management - Harvesting and Handling of Fruit

Olive Growing

Orchard Management - Pest and Disease Management

Olive pests are, to a large degree, kept in check by their natural enemies in the Western Cape. Olives thus lend themselves here to be grown and marketed as organic products. Growers should be careful not to disturb this balance by injudicious pesticide use, and should in addition use other practices which can reduce pest infestation, such as correct pruning and minimising traffic dust.

The main pests which occur on olives in South Africa are:

  1. the yellow and black striped olive beetle, with its bright yellow larvae which eats and tunnels into leaves especially on young trees, destroying new growth.
  2. the olive lace bug or “tingid” which sucks out the sap of leaves, especially where growth is dense, and so causes tiny yellow dots on the leaves which later become completely chlorotic and die.
  3. the olive fly, which stings the fruit and lays its eggs which then hatch and destroy the fruit as the larvae burrow through the flesh.

Under dusty conditions, infestation by various scale insects can be damaging. Insects such as psylla only become serious pests when the ecological balance is disturbed through injudicious pesticide use. Effective control of most of these pests is available, but one should always strive to allow biological control to take place.

The main fungal diseases include:

  1. anthracnose (“Gloeosporium”), which causes rapid fruit spoilage and cankers on shoots;
  2. olive leaf spot (“peacock spot”) which causes sooty spots and yellowing of leaves, later resulting in leaf drop and death of shoots;
  3. various soil-borne root diseases (Phytophthora, Verticillium, Phoma, etc.) which occur as a result of poor irrigation scheduling (localised over-irrigation and excess free water at the tree stem).
These diseases are controlled by chemical agents and correct orchard management practices.

News

Field day CD (DVD format) incorporating presentations from the last and also previous field days as well as a number of photos of technical interest on sale.
CD's can now also be ordered with new information.
Cost: R150 for non members, R100 members
(postage incl. South Africa only) 
Contact The Secretariat at info@saolive.co.za Choosing SA Olive Oil With ConfidenceOver the past few years olive oil has become a key ingredient in every kitchen and vital to the success of every meal.


For more information on the olive industry, click here.