Olive Oil

Kōwhatu Grove Marlborough Extra Virgin Olive Oil

From Biologix own Olive Grove in Marlborough.

Kōwhatu means Stone in Māori, for the soil in our Grove is filled with greywacke stone.

This stone is one of the highest  in silica 50-60%, and thats the key to the unique Marlborough terroir of the soil that brings the fantastic polyphenols and flavours to the crops like Olives and Grapes that grow in some of these special locations that exist in Marlborough. 

To truly access this natural rich source of minerals, can only happen if the soil health is the number one focus of your growing system. The silica cannot be access by the plants without the help of a critical group of microbes, and the secret lies in that combination as they must all be present for the process to happen.

Its a synergistic system that specific Mycorrhizal fungi need to form a symbiotic relationship with the plants roots to deliver the nutrition from these minerals, but in turn the mycorrhiza need to work in another symbiotic relationship with two groups of bacteria that actually do the hard work accessing these minerals.

Psuedomonas fluorescens is now known to be the link between silicon and the plant via the mycorrhizal fungal network. However this will only thrive in the soil if you don't use glyphosate herbicides. The vast majority of the research has found that in all but one case the glyphosate has reduced and completely wipes out this extremely useful bacteria from the soil. Needless to say that we don't use Glyphosate and invested in a specialised mower to mow between the trees when required.

Azotobacter sp is a critical group of bacteria that fix nitrogen and manage the nitrogen cycle. These also form a symbiotic relationship with the mycorrhizal fungi and can not do their job a 100% with out this relationship with the mycorrhiza.

The highest Polyphenol Olive oils in the world come from this relationship with silicon and soil health.

That is our soul aim at Kōwhatu Olive Grove.