What Can Affect Olive Oil Production?

🎧 Listen to this audio:

When we think of olive oil, we often picture sun-drenched hills, ancient trees, and golden liquid poured onto fresh bread. But behind every bottle is a year-long journey—one that can be disrupted by a single invisible enemy: olive tree illnesses.

What Can Affect Olive Oil Production?

Like any agricultural product, olive oil production is closely tied to the health of the trees. Factors like climate, soil conditions, and farming techniques all play a role. But one of the most serious threats comes from diseases and pests that can damage the olive tree and reduce the quality or quantity of olives it produces.

Common Olive Tree Illnesses

Verticillium Wilt
A fungal disease that blocks water from reaching the tree’s branches. Leaves wilt and fall off, and the tree may stop producing olives.

  1. Peacock Spot (Spilocaea oleagina)
    This fungal infection causes dark, circular spots on leaves, reducing the tree’s ability to photosynthesize and weakening it over time.

  2. Olive Knot (Pseudomonas savastanoi)
    A bacterial disease that causes wart-like galls on branches and twigs, which can disrupt growth and spread quickly.

  3. Xylella fastidiosa
    One of the most devastating pathogens, this bacterium can kill olive trees by blocking water flow. It spreads via insects like the spittlebug.

  4. Thakos (Dacus oleae)
    Also known as the olive fruit fly, this insect lays its eggs inside olives. The larvae feed on the fruit, ruining its quality and decreasing oil yield.

How Do We Protect Our Trees?

At Yiotis Olive Farm, tree care is a year-round commitment grounded in both tradition and science:

  • Regular Monitoring: Walking through the farm, checking the leaves, the bark, and the fruit. Early detection is key.

  • Pruning: Airflow is crucial to preventing fungus. We prune our trees to keep them open and healthy.

  • Natural Sprays & Traps: We use environment-friendly solutions and traps to keep pests like Thakos under control.

  • Soil Health: We nourish the roots with compost and organic matter to keep the tree strong from the ground up.

  • Listening to Experts: Our agronomist partners help guide us in applying preventive treatments only when needed, keeping our practices clean and respectful to nature.

 

 

Olive oil isn’t just pressed—it’s protected, nurtured, and fought for. Every bottle reflects not just sunshine and tradition, but the care it takes to keep these trees alive.
📬 Subscribe and get early access to pre-orders from our 2025 harvest.

 

Back to blog