Firmness and Cell Wall Changes during Maturation of ‘Arbequina’ Olive Fruit: The Impact of Irrigation

The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) has been cultivated around the Mediterranean basin since ancient times, ‘Arbequina’ being one of most widely grown varieties. To improve knowledge on ripening-related firmness changes in fruit, cell wall metabolism was studied irrigated and rain-fed olives at ‘Les Garrigues’, a Protected Designation Origin (PDO) Catalonia (NE Spain) where harsh environmental conditions occur during fruit development. Fruit samples were picked periodically from September to January. Time-course dynamics loss maturation characterised by first phase rapid followed second moderate change. Compositional walls related enzyme activities samples. significantly higher than olives. Neutral sugar loss, an early event modifications, lower samples, which, moreover, retained uronic acid amounts chelator-soluble fraction, thus resulting attenuated these fruits.