The Assembly Hall of the Olivarero de Montoro Community Heritage will host the presentation of this research group next Thursday, May 17 in the framework of the Olive Tree Fair.
The main objective of the project is the reduction of costs in basic tasks such as collection, application of phytosanitary products and soil management by means of autonomous systems.
The traditional olive grove, the most important in our country, will be the main beneficiary of these advances.
The Mecaolivar project is an initiative supported by the Administration, the University of Cordoba and the Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva, whose foundations are based on the study, analysis and development of R&D strategies adapted to the demand of the business sector, focusing on the advancement of prototypes that improve the technification and economic profitability of the olive grove.
Mecaolivar arose from the research group of Mechanization and Rural Technology of the University of Córdoba directed by Jesús Gil Ribes, Professor of Rural Engineering of the same university. Teams that try to offer new technical solutions to the harvesting, application of phytosanitary products and soil management in the Spanish olive grove. Among the machines developed (all of them pre-commercial models developed in collaboration with machinery companies) there are technological solutions for intensive olive groves, the greatest advances have been achieved in those destined for traditional olive groves, a modality that prevails in Spain.
Among the creations promoted by Mecaolivar are the development of integral harvesters for harvesting, an absolute novelty since until now there were compound systems, a slow and expensive system.
Thanks to the technological solutions that this research project is offering, there is the work of people who work and study to reduce the production costs that sometimes represent half of the amounts allocated to cultivation. An efficient machinery that extends the life of the entire olive grove, being able to throw away the fruit, pre-clean it and store it, all in an autonomous way, is a guarantee of a secure future.
Therefore, all visitors to the Fair will have the opportunity to obtain more information on this research project next Thursday, May 17 at 18:00 hours in the Assembly Hall of the Olive Grove Community Heritage of Montoro, an appointment in which it is intended that the attendee is informed and reflects on the emerging business fabric that is strongly committed to innovation and the ability to develop commercial machinery that improves the technical development of this sector, increasing its competitiveness and international positioning, fundamental pillars without which the creation of this research project would not have been possible.