Breeding Future Olives

Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

Olives have a prominent role in the production of aromatic healthy culinary oils and brined olives for the table. Olive oil production occurs worldwide on old-growth orchards that are subject to a number of modern production challenges. Disease, pests, climate change and other issues threaten sustainable production. Today’s guest is Prof. Lorenzo Leon, an olive breeder from IFAPA in Cordoba, Spain. He has taken on the mantle of creating the next generation of superior olive cultivars. We discuss the challenges of olive breeding, the protracted timeline, and the fact that his crosses today may result in something in the field decades down the road. We discuss modern genetic tools and their implementation. The discussion is a great appreciation of plant breeders, their important job, and the challenges they face.

Follow Dr. Leon on Twitter: @OliveBreeding

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.