ISHS Acta Horticulturae 791: V International Symposium on Olive Growing
COMMERCIAL CULTIVATION OF OLIVE (OLEA EUROPAEA L.) WITH SALINE WATER UNDER EXTREME DESERT CONDITIONS |
| Authors: | A. Dag, Y. Tugendhaft, U. Yogev, N. Shatzkin, N. Priel |
| Keywords: | yield, oil, oil quality, environmental conditions, potassium, irrigation |
| Abstract:
A case study for olives irrigated with highly saline water under extreme desert conditions is presented. The "Halutza" olive farm in southern Israel produces oil from 400 ha. The region is characterized by high water demand and saline loess soils. The irrigation water is groundwater with electrical conductivity of 4.5 dS/m. Despite the high level of salinity, trees at the farm develop well with rapid growth and reach full production by the age of 5. The average yield for adult 'Barnea' trees is 15 t/ha with an average of 18% oil. For the 'Souri' variety, average yield is 10 t/ha with an average of 17% oil, and for 'Picual' average yield is 10 t/ha with an average of 12% oil. Severe cultivar-specific damage caused by Verticillium wilt (V. dahlia) arises under the irrigated-saline conditions. The orchard is drip irrigated and supplied annually with about 900 mm of water. Irrigation regimes and water management aimed to prevent salinization hazards and to obtain maximum yields are discussed. Potassium content in leaves is generally lower than is commonly regarded as sufficient. Annual chemical and organoleptic analysis demonstrates that oil quality is not inferior to oil produced from rain-fed and fresh-water irrigated orchard in other parts of Israel. | |
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