ABIOTIC STRESS IN OLIVE: DISSECTING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is an iconic Mediterranean tree that in the last decades has been cultivated in many other warm-temperate regions of the world (North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa). Under Mediterranean climate this species is well adapted but when climatic and edaphic conditions become extreme (drought, high, or low temperatures, salinity, low oxygen, nutrient deficiencies) olive plant undergo to abiotic stresses. The negative effects caused by environmental constrains are not easily recognized in orchards, especially in those poorly managed by farmers. Since olive cultivation worldwide is gradually moving toward high-density and high-input growing systems with improved olive profitability, a deeper understanding on the effect of abiotic stresses on olive physiology is necessary. In this keynote lecture, a focus on the molecular and physiological knowledge achieved by the scientific community on olive responses under abiotic stress will be given. Data will be discussed to highlight some of the future research directions and their significance for future genetic improvement of olive cultivars.