Research article
Effects of Shading and Fertiliser on the Growth and Antioxidant Content of Olives (Olea europaea L.)
KeywordsFertiliser, shading, growth performance, olive, antioxidant
Article content
Abstract
The olive tree not only provides fruits but also wood and nutrition such as oleuropein.
Olive leaves can be made into tea by 'withering' (drying) the fresh leaves. An experiment
was conducted to observe the growth and evaluate the antioxidant content of olives using
different types of fertilisers. The plants were grown under partial shading and full exposure
to sunlight (50% and 0% - no shading); NPK fertiliser or commercial compost was used
to enrich the planting media. The results showed that plants that grew in the shade are
taller and have better foliage, while use of commercial compost resulted in better growth
of branches and leaves. Older leaves contained higher levels of oleuropein and ascorbic
acid. Exposure to sunlight increased ascorbic acid content in older leaves compared with
that of shaded plants.
