Long‑Term Evaluation of Oil Content and Composition in an Olive Hedgerow Cultivar Trial

However, the limited number of suitable cultivars adapted remains a critical constraint for the widespread adoption of this system. Therefore, there is an urgent need for testing the suitability of traditional and newly bred cultivars.

This study presents a comprehensive, long-term evaluation (from 2014 to 2022) of oil content and composition in three traditional (“Arbequina,” “Arbosana,” and “Koroneiki”) and three recently bred cultivars for hedgerow system (“Lecciana,” “Oliana,” and “Sikitita”). Among all the traits evaluated, genotype played a dominant role in determining oil composition, particularly oleic and linoleic acid levels, while year effects were notably strong for fruit moisture content and oil yield. “Koroneiki” consistently showed superior oil stability index (OSI) due to its high oleic acid and phenol content.