Chemometric classification of olives from three Portuguese cultivars of Olea europaea L.

Olives from three cultivars (Olea europaea Cv. Cobrançosa, Madural and Verdeal Transmontana) were subject to a biometric characterization of the fruit and endocarp. Olives were harvested in a selected olive grove, where the three cultivars are present, guaranteeing the homogeneity of the pedologic and climate conditions. Five trees from each cultivar, to a total of 15 trees, and 40 olives for each tree were picked up, to a total of 200 olives per cultivar. Each olive was characterized by 26 fruit and endocarp parameters as recommended by Conseil Oléicole Internationale (COI). A linear discriminant analysis was performed in order to assess the discrimination capacity of the measurement parameters between the three cultivars. An almost full discrimination of the olives from different cultivars was only achieved when fruit and endocarp data was analyzed together.