Unraveling the mystery behind Slovenia's dramatic fruit drop

The joy of abundant flowering was followed by sadness a month after fertilization as olives turned brown and fell from their branches. This is a summary of this year’s olive growing season in Slovenia. Sandwiched between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, olives have been cultivated since ancient times in the coastal areas of​the Brdi, Goriška, the Vipava Valley, Karst and Slovenian Istria. “Olive farming has great potential, both from the point of view of a sustainable food system and from the point of view of preserving the quality of the environment and sustainable tourism,” said Maja Podgornik, the head of the Institute for Olive Growing at ZRS Koper. Slovenian extra virgin olive oil is regularly recognized for its quality at international competitions. At the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world’s largest quality contest, Slovenian producers have earned awards each year since its inception in 2013. Olives are grown on 2,389 hectares in Slovenia by around 4,200 growers. ...