Cross-border cooperation for sustainable development

and tourism, through valorization of rural cultural

heritage and conservation of natural asset of areas with
ancient olive groves

CROSS BORDER OL
Work Package T1: Identification and conservation of landscape
with ancient olive trees and orchards (AOOs)

A.T.1.3: Identification and sharing of best practices for

conservation of the landscape of ancient olive orchards

Montenegro report

July 2019

Prepared by:
Project Team members of Municipality of Bar
and dr Mirko Knežević, external expert
Table of Contents

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Short review of the Montenegrin oliviculture ........................................................................................... 3
3. Olive growing in Džidžarin olive orchard and Bar municipality ................................................................. 6
3.2. General information about Džidžarin ..................................................................................................... 8
4. Good farming practices for olive management....................................................................................... 10
4.1. Pruning............................................................................................................................................. 10
4.2. Soil management and fertilization .................................................................................................. 11
4.3. Pest and pathogen management .................................................................................................... 14
4.4. Olive harvesting ............................................................................................................................... 15
4.5. Thickening and replacing dead plants and branches ...................................................................... 15
Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................................... 17

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 1. Introduction

Cross Border OL project is funded by the Interreg Italy-Albania-Montenegro

Programme under the Priority Axes “Smart management of natural and cultural
heritage for the exploitation of cross border sustainable tourism and territorial
attractiveness”. Its main objective is to promote sustainable tourism
development based on the natural asset of the landscape with Ancient Olive
Orchards (AOOs). The project will contribute to promote sustainable tourism
activities and to conserve and protect natural resources in areas with AOOs in
order to recover awareness of local populations on their own cultural heritage
linked to traditional oliveculture, by activating a process of setting local
strategies of development.
Work Package T1 (WP T1) deals with the identification and sharing of best
practices for conservation of the landscape of ancient olive orchards and aims to
identify and characterize the existing natural heritage of the involved countries
in terms of landscape and biodiversity richness in AOOs. WP T1 should fulfil
three deliverables, notably i) Mapping olive trees and groves (A.T.1.1), ii)
Characterization of biodiversity of AOOs (A.T.1.2) and iii) Identification
and sharing of best practices for conservation of the landscape of ancient
olive orchards (A.T.1.3).
We provide below the results of the third deliverable related to the
identification of best practices in ancient olive orchards in Montenegro. The
activity aims at facilitating the identification and sharing of best practices with
low environmental impact for the conservation of the AOO areas through a set of
good agriculture practices such as planting, soil cultivation, soil fertility
management, irrigation, weed and pest management, pruning and harvesting.
Processing of olive oil is considered for the impact both on landscape
quality/attractiveness and on olive oil products and on the eno-gastronomic
offer.
In order to determine best agronomic practices, suitable for Džidžarin olive
orchard and overall olive growing in the municipality of Bar, Project
management team of PP5 decided to take out the actions such as identification
of ordinary agronomic practices among local olive growers by implementing
initial workshop, on-field validation of those practices and setting up the
experiment including soil sampling in order to propose soil amelioration
measures. This Best practices template for Municipality of Bar is compiled based
on the results obtained after successfully delivering mentioned activities.

2. Short review of the Montenegrin oliviculture

Montenegro is south-eastern Mediterranean country that has a total area of 13

812 km2, and total population about 650 000 people. Montenegro’s coastline has
a length of 293,5 km, with very attractive beaches and touristic places. Olive

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growing zone in Montenegro lies between 18º25’ and 19º25’ east and 41º52’
and 42º30’ north.
Olive orchards cover about 3200 ha, or about 1/3 of total surface under fruit
trees in Montenegro. Olives are grown along a coastline, influenced by the
Mediterranean climate. Average temperature is 15,5ºC, with absolute minimum
of -8,5ºC and absolute maximum 40.0ºC. Average annual rainfall is 1652 mm.
The olive growing area is mainly hilly (85%), on the slopes of the mountain
massifs of Orjen, Lovćen and Rumija. Proof of its long history is found in groves
thousands of years old, with two outstanding specimens – the ‘Old olive’ in Bar
estimated to be more than 2200 years old (Photo 1) and the ‘Big olive’ in
Ivanovići, near Budva, estimated to be close to 2000 years old. A total number of
about 420 000 trees is estimated at present, showing a decline of about 30%
over the past 90 years of the last century. The average age of olive trees is 150-
200 years. Tree height is 7-10m or even up to 15m. This is not suitable for
intensive agricultural practices, such as pest control and harvesting. The
majority of olive trees need rigorous pruning and lowering of the tree height.
Yield of about 4,8 kg/tree, or about 1 litres oil/tree, is not sufficient to cover
national consumption. Most olive groves are between 0.2 ha and 2.0 ha, while
relatively large areas exist in the area of Luštica (20 000 trees) and in Ulcinj –
Valdanos (80 000 trees), which are protected by law. About 95% of olive groves
are in private ownership. Mass migration from agricultural areas and from olive
growing after World War II resulted in olive abandonment. There are many
autochthonous varieties (domestic and domesticated). The Montenegrin Coast,
according to olive growing, can be divided in two sub-areas: Bar sub-area
(municipalities of Ulcinj, Bar, Budva, where Žutica variety predominates with
95-98%), Boka-kotorska sub-area (municipalities of Tivat, Kotor, Herceg Novi,
where besides Žutica, there are other varieties like Crnica, Lumbardeška, Sitnica,
Šarulja etc.). Foreign varieties Picholine, Leccino, Coratina, Itrana, Ascolana
tenera are present at about 3% of the total. There is interest for varieties with
large fruits and resistance to the low winter temperatures. Depending on the
year the total production of olive oil in Montenegro is estimated at 400-500
tonnes. Records on processing and disposal on the market should be improved.
National production falls far short of domestic requirements, which means that
we import olive oil and canned olives from Italy, Spain and Greece. Total olive oil
production of Montenegro is consumed at home and sold on the local market
with an average price of 8-10 euros per 1 litre. Estimated olive oil consumption
in Montenegro is less than 0,5 litres per citizen. Surplus of olive oil is sold during
the summer through tourism, which is potential marker for the future, but the
challenge is to improve and increase production and olive oil quality. The

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Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development supports the production of plant
material through an assigned budget line, in order to support the revitalization
of olive groves. Plants are produced by rooting (mist propagation), but there are
recent requests for grafted Žutica for windy areas. Due to unfavourable terrain
and the tree height, mechanical harvesting is impossible and traditional ways of
harvesting by picking the fruits from the ground are slowly changing. Nowadays,
nets are widely used for harvesting, also hand shakers and other mechanical
tools. Harvesting time is estimated according to the fruit colour and the oil
content. The main issues are pests (Bactrocera oleae - Prays oleae) and
pathogens (Spilocaea oleaginea).

Photo 1a and 1b: Old olive tree in Municipality of Bar with its Age
certificate
Olive farmers are grouped into four Olive grower associations that, besides
regular activities like assistance, connection to the Ministry, providing extension
services, supporting pest control, soil quality, machinery credits etc., organise
traditional events about olives and olive oils (Maslinijada in Bar, following the
harvest and Days of young olive oil, in Boka Kotorska, in early spring). Of the 25

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existing olive mills in Montenegro, only 10 with the traditional press system are
active. There are 12 centrifugal 2-phase olive mills introduced in last 3-4 years
in olive processing. Average capacity of the mills is 250-500kg of fruit/hour.

3. Olive growing in Džidžarin olive orchard and Bar municipality

Municipality of Bar has a long tradition when it comes to olive production, due
to its natural characteristics, geographical position and soil composition. More
than 1000 hectares are dedicated to olive growing with more than 100 000 olive
trees, and a significant number could be considered as ancient or monumental.
Municipality of Bar, through the responsible secretariat, monitor the situation in
agriculture and agro-industry, analyse the impact on the economic situation and
the conditions of economy; prepare the programs and information, which serves
as a basis for determining and implementing policies in this field.

Municipality of Bar, through its former Secretariat for agriculture and rural
development made an official decision about project area. Olive tree plantation
Džidžarin, is one of the biggest, the most beautiful and the most valuable olive
complexes in Bar, which is few hundred meters apart from Old town of Bar
fortress. Historical value of Džidžarin, with the remains of stone bridges and
mills, orthodox and catholic churches, mosque, gives this orchard an
extraordinary value.

Best Practices or Good farming practices in Montenegro are supposed to be

applied by farmers in the selected area of Džidžarin. They will be made available
to at least 30 local farmers, extension service agents and technicians and will be
disseminated to other stakeholders through extension services and other means
of communication. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development of
Montenegro (acting as affiliated partner in this project) will support their
implementation in future years by validating and promoting them to a larger
number of farmers and land users dealing with management of ancient olive
orchards.
The selected area of Džidžarin orchard has similarities in terms of
environmental and natural assets, landscape and richness of biodiversity as well
as in the implementation of traditional agricultural practices with olive
landscapes in Italy and particularly Albania. Thus, the exchange and sharing of
best practices among the farmers is based on a first stage of identification and
collection of agricultural practices already applied in AOOs, and in a second
stage whereas best practices are applied or not by local people, and if yes, how
they could be disseminated by other stakeholders. The purpose of the project is
to stimulate the interest of local and foreign tourists to visit these areas,
promote valorization of typical products and enhance overall sustainable and
integrated rural development.

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Table 1: General information about olive plantation in Bar municipality
Location information Crop information Climate characteristics
Main olive variety – Žutica
Džidžarin olive orchard Mean Tmax 27.8°C
(98%)
Municipality of Bar Average yield 4-8 kg/tree Mean Tmin 4.3°C
South-eastern part of the Average age 150-200 years
Mean Tavg 15.6°C
Montenegrin cost (new/ancient orchards)
Coordinates Tree density 8x8 m
Mean annual rainfall 1480.8 mm
42°05’N 19°08’E (≈10 000)
Elevation ≈ 65-250 m Average annual sunshine hours
Rainfed agriculture
a.s.l. 210.6 h
Predominant soil type Eutric cambisol
Surface area ≈ 69 ha
(clay loamy texture class)

Photo 2a and 2b: Selected ancient olive groves in Džidžarin – Bar municipality

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3.2. General information about Džidžarin

After conducting soil survey on February 8th and validating the data on-field with
representatives of Olive Growers of Bar, general information about olive growing in this
orchard can be represented as following:

Table 2: Summary of ordinary agronomic practices in Džidžarin

Surface area ≈70ha
Estimated number of total olive trees ≈10 000 trees
Number of trees per ha ≈ 140 trees
Yield per tree (in kg) ≈ 4,8 kg/tree
Estimated number of ancient trees ≥ 5 000 trees
Estimated percentage of ancient trees ≥ 50%
Yield per AOO tree (in kg) ≈ 4,8 kg/tree
Plantation shape in AOOs Mostly irregular due to relief
Intercropping with other fruit trees No, single olive orchards
Intercropping with cereals/vegetables No, single olive orchards
Younger trees mixed with AOOs Yes, in about 20% of the complex
Ownership of the olive orchard public-private
Average age of private owners N/A (family business)
Abundant ancient olive orchards Rare (if the owner lives abroad)
Rural infrastructure availability and
Need for urgent repairs
functionality
Availability of olive oil mills Yes, two mills
Agri-tourism activities on-going in this area Yes (touristic tours from Old town)
Potential for expansion of agri-tourism Very high (historical-cultural assets)
Insect “Olive fruit fly“ and summer
Main threats to AOOs
fires

Photo 3: Satellite image of Džidžarin olive orchard (in red)

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 Photo 4a and 4b: Cultural-historical treasure in Džidžarin
(newly renovated ancient bridge and St. Urban church remaining)

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 Photo 5a and 5b: Old trace leading to Old town of Bar and main road through the orchard

4. Good farming practices for olive management

a. Pruning

Pruning is an indispensable management

practice for all olive groves and in particular
for AOOs as it helps balancing the relationship
between vegetative and reproductive
systems, adjusts the plant to light and solar
conditions easing the penetration inside the
canopy; provide suitable canopy aeration
since an insufficient aeration accelerates the
spread of fungal diseases, helps cultivation
operations. Production pruning should be
carefully planned not to be either too hard
(over-pruning) or too light but must be
carried out each year and in case that is not
possible for many reasons at least each two
years and when this is the case it is advisable
to at least cut the sucker shoots inside the
canopy. The same practice of cutting sucker Photo 6: Ordinary olive height in Bar

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shoots should be applied when pruning is made each 4-5 years or more. Care should be taken
during pruning not to disturb the bird nests and the birds alone since they provide natural
protection for the olives from a number or dangerous insects that attack olives. Therefore, in a
common AOO area a yearly rotation sequence of pruning should be implemented to allow for
birds to nest and thrive. Finally pruning must be done during the dormancy period and after
late frosts. In case of vigorous trees late pruning around April is advisable as this provides
equilibrium between growing and reproduction of the trees but suckers inside the canopy
must be cut off during summer to avoid competition for water and nutrients with the
productive part of the trees.

 Frequency of pruning in Džidžarin:

o Neglected for a long time
o Performed 2 to 5 years
o Performed 1 to 2 years: Even though pruning is regularly performed in most of the
orchards, there is a strong need for reducing tree height since majority of the trees is
from 7 to 10 meters high, going up to 15 meters. This is a strong restriction to the
implementation of intensive agriculture (Photo 6).

b. Soil management and fertilization

Soil management is crucially important for the growing and production capacity of olives
trees as well as for maintaining and increasing soil fertility level over long time periods.
Sustainable soil management protects soils from erosion and helps maintain the vegetation
cover always along the slopes thus increasing soil fertility and conserving biodiversity.

General rules for fertilization:

o Nitrogen is absorbed throughout the growing season but should more intense from
blossoming to stone hardening;
o Phosphorous is absorbed in the first part of the growing season, but P requirements
for olives are rather low;
o Potassium uptake begins with the growing recovery after the dormancy but should be
used in higher doses during the oil accumulation period in the fruits.

It is very important that fertilization should be made based on soil analyses, the status of the
trees, and available soil moisture and tree response to fertilizers. In general, it is advisable for
a plantation with 278 plants/ha (6x6 meters distance) that produce about 41 kg/ha of olives
to use 50 kg/ha phosphorous, 170 kg/ha potassium, and 95 kg/ha nitrogen (note that these
data are for active matter of N P K nutrients available in various commercial chemical
fertilizers). Since the number of trees in AOOs areas is much lower (usually 120 plants/ha),
these recommendations should be adjusted accordingly.

Fertilization represents the basic agro-technical measure, which aims to increase yield and
improve the quality of the fruits by providing mineral nutrition to olive oil.

The fact that in our country this agricultural measure is underappreciated cannot lead to the
conclusion that the needs of olives for mineral nutrition are negligible just because yield can
be obtained without fertilization. However, it has been demonstrated that in the case of olives

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as well as in all cultivated plants, the yield level will be directly dependent on fertilization.
Fertilization improves the properties of soil (physical and chemical), which has a positive
impact not only on yield increase and quality of olive oil but also on increasing its resistance
to relatively low temperatures, droughts, diseases and pests.

The intensive growth of olive trees will be significantly improved with the proper fertilization
regime. The use of slow-release fertilizer during the first years of development of new
plantations is recommended. Alternatively, soluble fertilizers can be used with high efficiency,
especially through the irrigation system. If the fertilizer is applied separately, it should be
ensured that after fertilization use is carried out before the rain. Many growers in
Mediterranean countries apply organic fertilizers every second year. Organic fertilizer is
available but is considerably more expensive per unit of nutritive elements. The surface layer
of organic material can be fertilized from livestock or food remains, but growers should be
consulted carefully before use because it is difficult to achieve a good balance of nutritive
elements only with this method of fertilization.

This method is environmentally friendly but requires further testing and understanding of the
farmer. Always avoid placing a fertilizer or manure to the trunk. No matter which type of
fertilizer should be used, the best method is to add it in smaller quantities and more often
during the growing season. Avoid abundant use of soluble fertilizers that can damage the
plant and leaching into groundwater. The amount of mineral fertilizer application should be
based on the yield, nutrient absorption, soil nutrition analysis, leaf nutrition analysis, leaf
symptoms, experimental fertilizer results and nutrition recycling.

Methods and time of fertilization – The largest amount of olive’s root system mass is located
at a depth of 15 to 20 cm. Therefore, it is recommended that potassium and phosphorous
fertilizers, as a slowly mobile, be applied during deep soil cultivation, in approximately 400-
500 kg/ha of superphosphate and 400-500 kg/ha of potassium phosphate, depending on the
agrochemical soil analysis.

Later, during regular agro-technics, these fertilizers should be introduced into the soil at the
same amount every 5-6 years, at a depth of 20-30 cm.

Nitrogen is added in the breeding period with the amount of 30 g/seedling in first year, in the
second year 70 g/seedling, in the third year 120 g/seedling and in the fourth year 170
g/seedling. After the fourth year, the amount of nitrogen to be added is calculated on the basis
of yield in that year, but as literature states, for every 100 liters of olive oil, 2.0 - 2.8 kg / ha of
nitrogen should be added.

The need for intensive olive-growing plants of full-grown olive oil is 150 to 250 kg/ha
nitrogen, 60 to 80 kg/ha of phosphorus (P2O5) and 100 to 200 kg/ha of potassium (K2O),
while for basic fertilization, needed nutrition ratio is 1:2:3.

Nitrogen is applied by the surface or with shallow cultivation (because it is easy to dissolve)
and is added in two occasions: 50% at the end of February and 50% at the end of March.

Importance of mineral nutrition for olive trees - Although olives have relatively low
nutrients requirement, they will react to the presence of fertilizers with good vegetative
growth and higher yield. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a careful, continual record of

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mineral status in the tree in order to avoid periods of malnutrition which would endanger the
overall long-term efforts. As mentioned, it is essential to maintain a balanced regime of
mineral nutrition, with particular attention to the correct amount of nitrogen and potassium,
in order to eliminate alternative yields.

At the location of Džidžarin, agrochemical soil analyzes were conducted indicating that the
theoretical application mentioned above is not always easy to apply.

Based on the classification of soil according to the pH in KCl, soil may be characterized with
neutral reaction. CaCO3 content increases with depth and medium lime transition to very lime.
The content of organic matter, as usual, decreases with depth It is very humic only in a thin
surface layer and then poorly humic, while in the lowest layer is very poorly humic.

The thin surface layer, which in fact represents a grass bush, is characterized by high content
of easy available phosphorus and potassium. The content then falls significantly in the
following layer, where the soil is poorly provided with phosphorus and averagely provided
with potassium. At depths of more than 30 cm, the land is poorly available with both
elements.

Soil analysis indicates that the application of

fertilizers on the surface does not provide an
adequate increase in the nutrient content at the
deeper part of the profile, which is to be expected
in view of the chemistry of potassium and
phosphorus in the soil. Due to the configuration of
the terrain, soil cultivation is not recommended
because it can lead to soil erosion.

Bearing in mind the age of the trees, it's clear that

no suitable soil preparation was possible at that
time, ie, deep cultivation and placing the fertilizer
at a depth part of soil profile. Due to the
fragmentation of the plot and the configuration of
the terrain, the application of irrigation with it and
fertilizers without an adequate project also is not
possible.
Photo 7: Soil profile in Džidžarin
For locations such as Džidžarin, it is
recommended to feed basic nutrition by injection and addition of microelements through
foliar application.

Table 3: Soil laboratory analysis from sampling in Džidžarin

Depth pH CaCO3 Humus P2O5 K2O
cm H2O KCl % % mg/100 g soil
0-6 7,65 7,08 8,5 7,87 57,6 39,1
6-29 7,7 7,16 10,8 2,96 3,6 14,9
29-59 7,48 6,9 16,1 1,45 1,4 7,4
59-78 7,61 6,99 14,2 1,13 0,7 8,9
78-100 7,58 6,95 11,8 0,96 1,2 8,2

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 Table 4: Soil management activities in Džiždarin
Frequency of fertilization each growing season 1-2 times
Form of fertilization Organic manure and NPK fertilizer
Application of green manure by planning
Not used
legume cover crops
Chopped pruning branches used as
Not used
fertilization sources
Yes, often elongated and sometimes
Olive groves protected by terraces
semi-circle
Weeds cut each season Yes, few times
Application of mulching Not used
Autumn: tillage on 30-60 cm depth
Implementation of tillage
Early spring: Shallow soil conservation
Rare in ancient grooves; regularly in
Soil analysis to check soil fertility young orchards
(soil analysis at Biotechnical Faculty)
Only in young orchards, micro-
Irrigation of olive trees
irrigation systems (“drop by drop”)

Photo 8a and 8b: Elongated and semi-circle teracces in the selected olive groove

c. Pest and pathogen management

Olives are vulnerable and susceptible from a number of pests and diseases. The most common
are Olive fly (Bactrocera oleae), Olive moth (Prays oleae Bem), Olive black scale (Saissetia oleae
Olivier), Peacock’s Eyes (Spilocea oleagina) and others. On the other side maintaining a good
balance between beneficial insects that reside in the nearby vegetation and agro-biodiversity
is crucial to promote a friendly way of pest and pathogen management, therefore maintaining
high biodiversity is very important.

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  Pest and pathogen management in Džidžarin:
o What type of treatment is implemented to combat pests and diseases? Explain the
frequency: Major problem in the cultivation of old olive trees is their protection. It is
carried out to a negligible extent, and damage to olive flies and other diseases and
pests are very high. For several years in the past, airplane protection of olives was
carried out and then olive growers they had a significantly better quality and quantity
of olive (olive oil). However, due to environmental pollution this protection is
abandoned, and the owners themselves due to poorly accessible terrain for
mechanization, they do not usually perform protection. Since the Olive fruit fly is the
most dangerous pest for the local olive growers, each year Mc Phail traps and yellow
plates are used for monitoring of this insect. After precise monitoring and consultation
with national institutions (Biotechnical Faculty and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development), notification letters are being sent to the farmers with recommendation
on how to efficiently and successfully combat with the main pest in our area, by using
chemical protection (Imidan 50 WG, Perfektion, Cromogor, Buminal).

d. Olive harvesting

Harvesting time must coincide with the ripening of the fruits to produce the very best quality
of olive oil. Generally speaking, early harvesting produces green color oil with higher level of
bitterness and pungency due to high level of phenol content. Late harvesting results in oil
yellowish in color but less bitterness and tastier for many consumers. Hence there are a
number of considerations to take into account when establishing the right moment to harvest,
including olive varieties and climatic conditions. In case of late attacks by the olive fly it is
advisable to anticipate the harvesting to avoid both oil quality and quantity reduction.
Harvesting methods are very important to avoid bruising and damaging of olive trees
compromising the production of the coming year. Olive fruits must not be damaged either and
they should be collected without touching the ground and brought soon after the harvest at
the oil mill.

 Olive harvesting in Džidžarin:

 By hand: Yes (mostly)
 By harvest tools: Yes (as auxiliary tools)
 By mechanical shakers: No
 By tractor shakers: No

e. Thickening and replacing dead plants and branches

Since in many cases AOOs have a lower number of trees per hectare (sometimes even 40-50
trees/ha) farmers often increase their number by planting new trees, but it is not advisable to
have more than 120 trees/ha. It is important to consider that during the thickening process; it
should be made possible that the trees should not be in touch with each other. This means
that the planting should be done in regular distance 10x10 m or minimum 8x8 and not more
because an over increased number above 120 tree/ha in AOOs will create the conditions for
increased competition for nutrients from the soil but also will compromise the traditional
AOO landscape therefore the number of young plants should not be more than 40% of the
whole AOO area. Care must be taken also for the chosen varieties of the young trees not to

15
jeopardize the old-centuries germplasm that has resisted for centuries. Finally, removal of the
dead plants and branches inside the AOOs is very important to avoid the risk of fire and
spread of pest and diseases and should be done frequently.

o Are new trees planted in the AOO area: Yes, mostly in autumn and spring
o Are dead plants and branches removed regularly: Yes, couple of times per year (look at
the calendar below)
o Are basal shoots removed: Yes, mostly with every pruning

Table 5: Calendar of works in the olive orchard Džidžarin

Month Agro-technical measures Pests and diseases occurrence
Pruning is allowed only during the
dry period; preparatory works for Scale insects (Hemiptera,
January new plantation; fertilization only if it Sternorrhyncha), Peacock spot
was not done last year after (Spiloceae oleagineae)
harvesting
Planting, pruning and/or olive tree
rejuvenation only during warm and Peacock spot (Spiloceae
February
dry period; shallow soil tillage oleagineae)
recommended
March is right time for planting, Peacock spot (Spiloceae
March pruning, tillage, fertilization and oleagineae) and Sooty mould of
other agro-technical works olive (Capnodium elaeophilum)
Grafting can be started from April Olive bark beetle (Hylesinus
April 20 , fertilization and weed protection oleiperda) and Olive fruit Curculio
th

is recommended (Hynchites cribripennis)

Grafting from April 20 , initial start
th

of irrigation if water scarcity occur;

Peacock spot (Spilocea oleaginea);
monitoring of flowering for foliar
May Sooty mould of olive (Capnodium
fertigation and nutrition; second
elaeophilum)
nutrition should be implemented
when 10% of flowers are open
Soil tillage and irrigation. Third
nutrition when 70% of flowers are Olive moth (Prays oleae), Scale
June open, fourth with 100% of open insects (order Hemiptera,
flowers and fifth time when olive fruit suborder Sternorrhyncha)
is size of wheat grain
Removal of unnecessary green Occurrence of the first generation
July branches; irrigation and foliar of Olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae)
nutrition at the end of the month
Irrigation when needed together with
foliar nutrition; shallow tillage Olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) of
August
recommended for preservation of soil the second generation
humidity
Removal of green branches; addition Olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) of
September of organic manure is there was no the third generation; Peacock spot
heavy rain in the previous period (Spilocea oleaginea)
Olive harvesting and olive oil
processing
October Olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae)
Pruning, fertilization; trunk
disinfection
November Olive harvesting and adding the Peacock spot (Spilocea oleaginea);

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 manure Black scale (Saissetia oleae)
Harvesting of late olive species;
December pruning; deep soil tillage; adding the Peacock spot (Spilocea oleagina)
manure; preparation for planting

Conclusions
Despite the great number of challenges, the most important potentials of Montenegro remain
favorable agro-ecological conditions, long tradition of olive growing, autochthonous varieties
of olives, increased interest in olive production and olive products, complementarity with
tourism and great potential for dealing with integral, organic and organic production.
However, weaknesses in the form of fragmentation of the plot, market disorganization,
inadequate level of knowledge and unwillingness to the investment risk greatly limit the
accelerated development of olive growing. There is an evident need for changing the
awareness of all the stakeholders (e.g. producers, competent authorities, consumers, media,
etc.) and treatment in terms of modern sustainable olive growing. Undoubtedly, pioneer steps
are made in this direction and Montenegrin olive growing in the last decade has seen a
positive trend in terms of planting new olive trees, restoring old olive trees and increasing
production of olives and olive oil. Also, work is intensified on education, both producers and
consumers, which is encouraging signals for the future of olive growing in Montenegro.

***

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