La meccanizzazione della olivicoltura italiana

The mechanization of olive cultivation is still in strong evolutionary phase both for historical reasons that have kept up until a few years ago the almost exclusive use of manpower, and both due to the strong heterogeneity that still exists in crop types. In Italy you can identify at least 6 classes cultivation: 1. terraced plants non-viable by machines; 2. terraced plats potentially mechanized; 3. irregular traditional olive plants with typical ancient large plants; 4. rational and regular olive plants (200-300 plants per hectare); 5. intensive plants with 400-700 trees per hectare average canopy size of 50 cubic meter 6. superintensive new olive plants with more than 1000 plants per hectare. Each of these categories require different chains of mechanization and today a rationalization of the national olive cultivation is oriented toward three types: plants with high oil productivity (superintenisive and intensive); renewed high productive plants; typical olive crop of high environmental value. Research on mechanization has been devoted mainly on harvesting and pruning operations which require more than 70% of total production costs of the olives yield. In particular the productive sector and the majority of researchers are focused on mechanization of superintensive olive crop model but we have to say that it has already in fruit and viticulture models fully adaptable. More difficult but quite is the search for the maintenance of olive-growing so called "heroic" that is a very important patrimony in our Country. The manual presents the scenery of the technological possibilities, their evolution and criteria for efficient application to different types of machine and yard with useful information to management.