A relatively new cultivar, Barnea was selected and developed by Professor Shimon Lavee in Israel. Barnea was named for the Kadesh Barnea region in which it was found, on the border between the Sinai Desert and Israel. Agrolive is proud to be the first to introduce to Australia this unique variety, which was also known as K-18, the original number assigned to it in the breeding plot. Barnea has many advantages for the modern orchard. By the third year, it has given commercial yields of 10 tonnes per hectare with 20% oil content in Israel. It produces high-quality fruit for the top end of the olive oil market.
Geographical
Distribution
The Barnea cultivar is now widely planted in most of the world's olive-growing regions, but primarily in orchards with at least partial irrigation. It is the predominant cultivar planted in modern orchards for oil extraction, and is particularly suitable for mechanised industrial production. More than 400 trees can be planted per hectare.
Description
| Tree |
Vigorous, erect-growing tree with thin fruiting branches. The crown is loose and open. |
| Leaf |
Medium-large, widening at mid length. They remain rather soft. The upper surface is light green. |
| Flower |
|
| Stone |
Banana-shaped. Narrow, elongated, asymmetrical and pointed at the apex. The fibrovascular grooves are well-pronounced. The largest diameter is at about one-quarter to one-third of its length. |
| Fruit |
Medium-sized,elongated, bent, wide at the base and narrow at the apex. Often ending with a nipple. The green fruit has a rough surface. At green maturation the fruit is pale yellow-green, turning smooth with a deep black color at black maturation. The mesocarp is bright and has a smooth texture. |
Agronomic Characteristics
Under irrigation, the tree develops a full-sized canopy and gives a commercial yield by the third year after planting under good management conditions. The cultivar needs summer irrigation to realise its full potential.
The tree, and particularly the fruit, is sensitive to stress caused by a lack of water in summer. Barnea's fruiting potential is very high. Alternance is relatively small.
It is propagated from cuttings that root easily and is only grown on its own roots. Flowering is relatively early, as is green maturation. Full black maturation is in mid season.
Barnea responds well to mechanical harvesting. The cultivar was developed for oil extraction, but also is suitable for high-quality black pickles. Under full irrigation, the oil content can reach the significant yield of 20-23%.
The cultivar has some resistance to leaf spot (Cycloconium oleaginum). It has the potential to suffer from root rot in wet soils. After severe pruning, regrowth can go through a slow period, before normal rapid growth resumes.
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agrolive@agrolive.com.au | ph:+618-8110-0988 | fax: +618-8110-0900
25 Peel St or PO Box 8070 Station Arcade, Adelaide, SA 5000
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