Olive tree care: Irrigation

Campo de olivos en primavera

Irrigation is an agricultural practice that consists of pouring water on the crop. The purpose of this agricultural practice is to increase yields considerably and in many cases it makes crops viable in places where they would not be viable on their own. Examples of these are most of the orchards in Spain. In addition, this agricultural practice is also used in the cultivation of olive trees. The olive tree develops perfectly well under rainfed conditions. However, irrigation greatly increases its extra virgin olive oil production and growth. Consequently, irrigated olive trees are widespread in areas where irrigation is possible. In gardens, the olive tree is usually irrigated, but excessive irrigation must be avoided because of the appearance of fungi that attack the olive tree.

Index:

  1. Relationship between olive tree irrigation and oil quality
  2. Frequency of watering an olive tree
  3. Young olive tree care
  4. Advantages of irrigated olive groves

Summary: Irrigation in olive trees gives greater production and stability in yields. However, it also has an effect on their quality. Therefore, irrigated olive groves must take into account a series of parameters if they are looking for high quality extra virgin olive oils. Likewise, in our shop in Las Rozas de Madrid we have many extra virgin olive oils that come from irrigated crops. Examples of these are those from Almería and Casas Hualdo.

Other interesting articles: Care of the olive tree in spring.

1. Relationship between olive tree irrigation and olive oil quality

The organoleptic characteristics and composition of the extra virgin olive oil found in olives vary depending on several factors:

  1. Variety of olive
  2. its state of ripeness
  3. Soil
  4. Climatic conditions
  5. agricultural techniques used in the olive grove, and within these irrigation.

Therefore, according to the latest research, the irrigation of olive groves is another factor that does have an influence on the quality of extra virgin olive oil.

International Olive Oil Council (IOC) project

The International Olive Oil Council (IOC) carried out a project within its R&D&I programme for the Development and Dissemination of rational irrigation management in olive growing, the Irrigaolivo project. This project demonstrated that by applying deficit irrigation to olive plantations, covering only 70% of the olive tree’s water needs. Under these conditions, a higher quality of extra virgin olive oil is obtained. Moreover, at the same time, significant savings in water consumption are achieved.

más setas de un olivar

Photo 1: Mushrooms in an olive grove

Other studies

According to other studies carried out by the Research Group on Oils and Wines (ACEVIN) of the University of Extremadura . Here the researchers found that olive trees that suffer from water deficit produce higher quality extra virgin olive oil. The researchers of this study showed that a water saving between 30 % and 90 % leads to losses in olive weight of between 36 % and 50 %. However, higher fat yields are achieved.

It was also shown that these oils from water-deficient olive trees contain a higher amount of phenolic compounds and pigments that give the oil its colour. As a consequence, the oils extracted from these rainfed olives are darker in colour, more bitter and more stable than those obtained from irrigated olives. In short, dry-farmed extra virgin olive oil is healthier and has a better taste.

2. Frequency of irrigation in an olive tree

The frequency of irrigation of the olive tree will depend on your water needs,. Furthermore, these will depend on your physiological state, environmental temperature and soil type. Calculating the irrigation frequency for a professional agricultural crop requires the work of an agronomist engineer. Consequently, these engineeres analyse soil analysis and study climatological bases. This information will be able to give you your irrigation calendar and its frequency. In the market there are also devices that measure soil moisture, and warn you when they reach a minimum level of soil moisture. However, for large areas, this is very expensive.

In the event that you have a few olive trees, and this on top of them, the olive tree will tell you the water you need. We only have to observe him and see what he needs. We must avoid that during the summer the leaves are arched, because then the olive tree is suffering of hydric stress. Another sign that the olive tree needs water is when the olive wrinkles. Neither should we exceed the risks, because these bring diseases. As a general rule, watering it every 15 days in dry areas during the summer and in humid areas a couple of times in the summer would be enough.

3. Young olive tree care

A young olive tree needs much more attention than a larger one already installed. May care that we have to have is summer, if it dries, because having few roots and few reserves, a heat stroke can be charged in a few days.

If we are going to plant it in a space of the garden, I recommend to plant it in a sunny zone and where it does not have strong winds. We have to be careful with the soil, because deep and not loamy soils are better.

4. Advantages of irrigated olive groves

Irrigated olive groves require a higher level of investment and maintenance, while at the same time their productivity and profits are much higher than those of rainfed olive groves. Therefore, this higher level of olive tree care means that more labour is needed, and therefore helps to fix the population in rural areas.

However, the problem is to have water supply, as every farmer wants water supply for his farm.

 

Sources:

Newspaper Jaén:  http://www.diariojaen.es/jaen/

Olive tree care and other tips

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