ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR 2022
Each year, we look at ways to further expand the biodiversity in our orchard. These are the projects which, funding permitting, we hope to turn into reality this year.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
One of the main pest concerns in an olive grove is the olive fruit fly, whose larvae feeds on the olives & degrades the quality of the oil.
As an alternative to pesticides, we have used fly traps made from recycled plastic bottles. While effective, this method isn’t perfect: The traps attract more than just the olive fly, including beneficial insects.
We have found a better solution, provided by mother nature: “Dittrichia Viscosa” (also know locally as Olivarda), a native plant that was traditionally found in olive groves & naturally controls the spread of olive fruit fly, by attracting its predators.
STARTING A NURSERY
Mono-culture is the most common method of farming in modern agriculture & it is causing great harm to the environment, by creating an imbalance & reducing biodiversity.
Unfortunately, our olive grove is no exception & we would like to fix that by planting a large variety of fruit trees, nut trees & shrubs that will provide additional habitat for many more species. Due to the scale, having our own nursery is imperative & starting all our plant stock from seeds has several advantages:
CREATING NATURAL PONDS
Natural ponds significantly increase biodiversity in agricultural landscapes & are vital for the survival of many species. In our Mediterranean climate, due to the extreme changes in temperature & rainfall, those ponds are often “temporary” & the species that depend on them have learned to adapt during the dry season.
We have several suitable sites for small ponds & would like to add at least one this season.
