Survey on olive genetic resources of Sardinia

Sardinia is particularly rich in olive genetic resources. Wild olive forms are widely spread and were already used for oil extraction in the ancient times. Moreover, many different olive cultivars were introduced by Phoenicians, Romans, and, more recently, Spanish peoples.
The study of olive germplasm in Sardinia started about fifteen years ago and a preliminary list of 20 cultivars was defined. By means of the propagation of this group in an experimental orchard, a complete description of cultivars was made. In this paper some tree, shoot, leaf, flower, and fruit characteristics of cultivars growing in Sardinia are presented. Differences and likenesses between accessions are also discussed in order to define cultivar originality or synonymous recurrence. Good yield and quality were observed in 'Semidana' and 'Bosana' for oil production, while 'Manna' and 'Tonda di Cagliari' resulted as interesting dual-purpose cultivars.