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The Experimental Olive Grove of Imperia, stretches on some 2.400 square feet, facing south-east, and not far from the city of Imperia. It was born mainly for cultivation experiments. Today, it includes several oil plant species, planted with variety-mix criteria. This allows to cultivate and harvest each single species at different times of the year.
It is undoubtedly a formidable collection of germplasms and an impressive olive grove set into a mixed orographic context; in fact, it thrives both locally on Poggi’s coastline, and more in general in western Liguria, with typical terraced cultivation. Quite a challenge indeed.
Needless to say, olive trees are linked to the very beauty of the landscape, in every season.

Set on sloping ground, the experimental olive grove also features a small rural building – recently renovated – an irrigation system that uses spring water collected in wells, and a 2.500 square feet heated greenhouse with modern features.

Olive groves on hills and mountains in vast areas of Liguria do also have an important has a hydrogeological and climatic function: should olive trees disappear, the local population would permanently lose its only source of income. No other forms of cultivation would be possible in such a dry environment, extremely prone to droughts in the summer.

the disappearance of the olive tree would mark, the definitive disappearance of the agricultural population especially in areas where no other agricultural crop is possible and where the same forest finds difficulty in development, due to the scarcity of rains and in particular to the extreme summer drought of the environment.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)