The Sabine is a

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

of olives grown primarily in Corsica. In the Balagne region of

Haute-Corse Haute-Corse (; co, Corsica suprana , or ; en, Upper Corsica) is (as of 2022) an administrative department of France, consisting of the northern part of the island of Corsica. The corresponding departmental territorial collectivity merged w ...

it is the main variety. The olive yields an exceptionally high amount of

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

; more than 30%. Vulnerable to certain biological

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

, it is relatively tolerant of cold. The Sabine olive variety should not be confused with the olive oil produced in the

Sabina Sabina may refer to: Places and jurisdictions * Sabina (region), region and place in Italy, and hence: * the now Suburbicarian Diocese of Sabina (-Poggio Mirteto), Italy * Magliano Sabina, city, Italy * Pozzaglia Sabina, city, Italy *Fara Sab ...

region of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Extent and synonyms

The Sabine is primarily grown in the Balagne region of

, where it is the main variety. It is known under a number of different names locally, including Aliva Bianca, Biancaghja and Capanacce.

Characteristics

It is a cultivar of middle strength, with a spreading

growth form Plant life-form schemes constitute a way of classifying plants alternatively to the ordinary species-genus-family scientific classification. In colloquial speech, plants may be classified as trees, shrubs, herbs (forbs and graminoids), etc. The sc ...

and elliptic leaves that are short and of medium width. The olives are of low weight, elongated shape and are slightly asymmetrical. The stone has a rounded apex and pointed base, with a smooth surface and the presence of a

mucro A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

. It is a late cultivar, and matures between January and mid-June.

Processing

The Sabine is used mainly for extraction of

, and gives an extraordinarily high yield; under ideal circumstances as much as 30%. The aroma of the oil is described as "ripe and green fruit and hints of nuttiness".

Agronomy

It is considered a cultivar of good productivity, with good rooting ability, but with a tendency towards biennial bearing, i.e. that a good yield is followed by a weaker one the next year. It has low resistance to certain biological

, such as the '' Saissetia oleae'' and sooty moulds, and to a certain extent also the ''

Bactrocera oleae The olive fruit fly (''Bactrocera oleae'') is a species of fruit fly which belongs to the subfamily Dacinae. It is a phytophagous species whose larvae feed on the fruit of olive trees, hence the common name. It is considered a serious pest in t ...

'' (Olive fruit fly). On the other hand, it is quite tolerant of cold weather.

References

{{Olives Olive cultivars