STUDY ON ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF OLIVE FRUIT I.FRUIT FOR OIL OLIVE

The study on the economic characteristics of olive (Olea europaea L.) fruits of 56 varieties grown in Han Zhong, Shanxi Province shows that the oil content, fruit size and pulp ratio etc.differ obviously among them.The oil content of 25 varieties in dry fruit is 40-50%, which accounts for 44.6% of the total varieties.The oil content of 14 varieties is 35-40%, accounting for 25%.The oil content of the rest is 30-35% or less than 30%.Olive oil mainly consists of 7 kinds of fatty acids, of which the highest is oleic acid (C18:1, accounting for 65-78%).It is a decisive factor in the oil quality.It is primarily concluded that a variety with the oil content of over 35% and oleic acid content of over 56% could be considered as oil olive for cultivation.Thus 35 varieties are taken as oil olive, of which 23 varieties are of superior class of which the oil content in dry fruit is more than 40% and oleic acid content in oil is more than 65%.12 varieties are of good class as oil olive, of which the oil content in dry fruit are over 35%, oleic acid content in oil is over 60%.