Variability and heritability of fruit characters in olive progenies from open-pollination

•Twenty six morphological descriptors and agronomic traits were evaluated.•Significant differences among progenies were observed for all the evaluated traits.•Heritability estimates showed high values for fruit size and shape.•Implications of the heritability values on olive breeding are discussed.

Several olive breeding programs have been initiated in the last years to obtain new olive cultivars adapted to modern olive growing techniques. However, up to now there is limited information about the inheritance of the main agronomic traits in olive (Olea europaea L.). In the present work, twenty six morphological descriptors and agronomic traits were evaluated in progenies coming from open-pollination of 17 Spanish cultivars of the World Olive Germplasm Bank of IFAPA Córdoba, Spain and in their corresponding parents. Significant differences among progenies were observed for all the evaluated traits. Heritability estimates showed low values for oil and moisture content, moderate for flesh/stone ratio and high for fruit size and shape. For those characters with high heritability, average values of the parents followed similar pattern than the observed in their corresponding open pollinated progenies. Implications of the heritability values on olive breeding are discussed.