Since 2023, OFADE has been coordinating DURITIAM, an R&D Project developed at Almazaras de la Subbética, a cooperative producing olive oil, table olives, quince vinegar, etc. The cooperative’s commitment to innovation and improving product quality in a market that increasingly values quality and sustainability led to the creation of this project. The main objective of DURITIAM is to investigate how different fertilisation strategies can improve the quality and productive characteristics of olives and quinces, optimising their ripening and increasing their commercial value.
The Project is currently in its third and final phase, during which the effects of treatments applied throughout the olive and quince production cycle will be evaluated with the aim of improving the quality and ripening process of the fruit. From June to November, the technical team at Almazaras de la Subbética and OFADE have been carrying out these treatments at key moments in the crop cycle: 6 and 10 weeks after flowering, and 15 days before harvesting the fruit. These treatments are carried out alongside the Collection and analysis of fruit simples throughout the season, enabling the evolution of the fruit’s ripening and characteristics in each crop to be analysed.
In November, the final olive grove sampling and treatments are carried out, alongside the olive and quince harvest. All simples are analysed by the Extremadura National Agri-Food Technology Center (CTAEX), which evaluates the fruit’s quality and composition. Over the coming months, until the final milestone in March, the final analyses of the fruit, together with various test related to the processing and preservation stages, will be carried out, as well as the evaluation of the results obtained in the various analyses.
We hope that this final milestone will provide results confirming the positive impact of the applied treatments on the final quality of the fruit and its industrial performance in both table and mill olives and quinces. At OFADE, we will continue to oversee this final phase of the project, ensuring that the results obtained in the field can be translated into tangible improvements in production and the final quality of each product, helping Almazaras de la Subbética to achieve its goal.
