| Salonenque | |
|---|---|
| Olive (Olea europaea) | |
| Color of the ripe fruit | Green |
| Also called | Plant de salon, Courniand, Suren, Varagen |
| Origin | France |
| Notable regions | Provence |
| Hazards | Verticillium dahliae,Sooty moulds,Saissetia oleae |
| Use | Oil and table |
| Oil content | High |
| Fertility | Partially self-fertile |
| Growth form | Erect |
| Leaf | Elliptic-lanceolate |
| Weight | Medium/high |
| Shape | Ovoid |
| Symmetry | Slightly asymmetrical |
TheSalonenque, carrying the name ofSalon-de-Provence, is acultivar ofolives grown primarily inProvence. Though it is used for producingoil, and gives a good yield, it is valued primarily as a table olive. It is produced as a so-called cracked olive, which means that the fruit is cracked to speed up the curing process.
The Salonenque is particularly common in Provence, especially in theBouches-du-Rhône. In theVallée des Baux it makes up over 60% of planted trees (as of 2004).[1] It is also grown inSouth Australia, primarily in the area aroundAdelaide.[2]
The cultivar is also known locally under several other names, including Courgeole, Plant de Salon, Salonen, Sauren, Sauzen, Selounen and Varagen.[2]
It is a cultivar of weak vigour, with an erectgrowth form.[3] Theleaves are short and narrow, with an elliptic-lanceolate form.[4] The olives are of medium-high weight, and of an ovoid quite symmetrical shape.[5] They are rounded both at the apex and the base.[3] The stone has a rugose, or wrinkled surface, with a rounded apex, a pointed base, and amucro.[3]
For use as table olives, the fruit is harvested relatively early, around 10 September. Foroil production the harvest is later, in early November.[6] When fully mature, the colour of the fruit is bright green.[6]
The primary use of the Salonenque is as a table olive, more specifically as cracked olives (olives that are slit during the curing for the process to go faster).[1] They cured olives are "fresh with a firm, meaty texture and a whiff of aromaticfennel".[7] It is also used for production of oil, and gives a high yield (22–25%).[6] The taste of the oil is sweet and delicate, and quite strong.[6] The olive is freestone – the stone does not cling to the flesh.[5] The Salonenque is used in several officially approvedappellations: such as "AOC Vallée des Baux" and "AOC Pays d'Aix".[6]
Salonenque is considered a cultivar of high and constant production, but has a low rooting ability.[5] The Salonenque is partially self-fertile, but it can take advantage of nearbypollinators, among which are theGrossane and theBerruguette.[6]
It has a high level of resistance to the majorpests, with the exception of grubs of the olive mothPrays oleae and of the olive fruit flyBactrocera oleae.[8] It has a good resistance also to cold, and can sustain temperatures down to −15 °C,[6] but it is highly sensitive to wind.[9]
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