Τhe Project for the “Creation of pre-basic, basic and certified olive, citrus and fig plantations” within the framework of Submeasure 16.1–16.2 “Establishment and Operation of Operational Groups of the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability” of Action 2, of the RDP 2014-2020 has launched.
The aim of the Project is to create an integrated production chain of propagating material, specifically olive, citrus and fig trees, in order to ensure their traceability, varietal authenticity and plant health. Quality characteristics and yield of production, plant capital and farm income are ensured as results.
The Project is implemented with the participation of the organizations: ELGO “DIMITRA”/Institute of Olives, Subtropical Plants and Vine (ELGO), Benakeio Phytopathological Institute (B.P.I.), Agricultural University of Athens (A.U.A.), Union of Greek Nurseries (E.F.E.), Salis Nurseries (Corinth), Pangalos Nurseries (Heraklion, Crete), A.S. Kavoussiou (Lassithi), National Interprofessional Organization of Table Olives (DOEPEL), Italian research center “Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche- Istituto Per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante” (CNR-IPSP), Agro-Anaptixiaki – Platis Michael (Siteia, Crete).
Despite the existence of relevant legislation in Greece, only in the last few years actions have been taken to produce certified propagating material for olives and citrus fruits, while for figs these have not yet begun. This fact has as a result that there is no guarantee for the varietal authenticity and plant health of the seedlings that the producers procure for the new plantings.
The loss of plant capital due to diseases, combined with the loss of income due to reduced production, is a frequent phenomenon in cases of planting trees infected with pathogens, the percentages of which, as it has been established through laboratory tests, are high, since many pathogens of economic importance to the crop cannot be diagnosed with the human eye. The cases, where the producer will find some years after the establishment of the orchard that his trees do not meet the characteristics of the desired variety, are not few, while at the same time the reputation and sustainability of the agricultural products are at stake as the produced product does not have the desirable quality characteristics.
For the first time in Greece, infrastructure will be created for an integrated production chain of certified propagating material. Based on the existing mother plantations of the official conservator of plant varieties (EL.GO.), the first candidate pre-basic plantations will be created for the most important Greek varieties (olives, citrus fruits and figs). Then mother plants will be created in the nurseries and finally certified plantations. The varietal authenticity and plant health will be ensured by checks by specialized laboratories (B.P.I., A.UA., EL.G.O.) based on the current certification legislation.
The maximum activation of the beneficiaries and the dissemination of the results will be carried out by institutions of national scope, the E.F.E. and the National DOEPEL, while the most basic Greek olive varieties will be evaluated for resistance to the most damaging quarantine pathogen, Xylella, at the CNR-IPSP, which is an international reference point in the specific field.