Application and optimization of pollen analysis in the development of models for olive harvest forecast in Tunisia
Optimize crop forecasting models through a combination of pollen, phenology and climate data.
General objectives
The development of a model to study the phenological evolution is useful to forecast the main dates of the reproductive cycle of olive tree based in the emergence of buds until the maturation of the fruit. It is of great interest in different areas such as agriculture, climatology, forestry, entomology and health given the olive tree pollen allergenicity. Indeed, the development of plants and in particular olive tree, is strongly conditioned by genetic factors controlled by ecological and climatic factors that can contribute to the interannual fluctuations in pollen and harvest data. Our researcher groups in Spain and Tunisia groups have worked together on the study of the relationship between the intensity and timing of flowering and fruiting of the olive tree. Jointly, the influence of meteorological variables on the phenology and reproductive intensity of this species has been anlysed, studying the atmospheric pollen as an indicator of climate change. So is expected to get a more detailed knowledge about the variations of the phenological phases, the requirements of cold, heat or rain and its relation to the production of fruit, primarily in the area of Tunisia, where such studies are still in very preliminary stages.
Role of the andalusian partner
1. Evaluate the effect of climate change in different regions and varieties of olive tree in Tunisia and Spain.
2. Offer more information on the orientation of future extensions of olive trees depending on the behavior of pollen emissions in each region of Tunisia