Ideal Frequency of Olive Grove Irrigation
The olive tree, unlike most crops, develops its greatest physiological efforts in spring and autumn.
The olive tree has evolved and developed within the Mediterranean climate. The Mediterranean climate is characterized by focusing rainfall in the temperate and cold seasons, being very scarce in the warm season.
Therefore, irrigation in the olive tree must be understood based on the following premises:
- As a way to compensate for the high intra- and interannual variability in rainfall in the Mediterranean climate.
- As a way to support the large water demands of modern plantations with large canopy volumes per hectare, due to a high number of olive trees per hectare.
Recommended irrigation frequency:
The olive tree must have moisture in the soil guaranteed, mainly at key physiological moments, with there not being much productive impact when there is plenty of moisture in the soil during periods of low physiological activity.
There are no specific guidelines and with closed dates for irrigation in the olive grove. The amount and distribution of irrigation will depend on:
- Climatology of the area where the olive grove is located and the year in question.
- Type of soil in which the olive grove is located.
- or the type of irrigation installation: number of drippers per olive tree, flow rate, etc.
- Canopy volume of the plantation.
What are the key physiological moments?
The key physiological moments in the Olivo are:
- Olive tree sprouting, at the end of winter.
- Flowering, at the end of spring.
- Fruit set: First phase of fruit growth (cell division). From the beginning of summer until approximately the middle. The second phase of exponential growth of the fruit, with the accumulation of oil, usually occurs at the end of summer, throughout the fall and ceasing at the beginning of winter.
Irrigation in the olive grove, as the crop is grown in the Mediterranean climate, must always be understood in combination with the rain and the humidity of the soil. In winter, some watering is usually only necessary in desert climates, to maintain minimum humidity. In Mediterranean climates, if the irrigation system soaks a large percentage of the surface of the olive grove, and the soil has a great capacity for water storage, because it is deep and clay loam, it may be interesting to irrigate in winters that are very dry as a way to recharge the soil’s water reserves for spring.
In summary, you should water according to the water status of the olive tree, not according to the calendar, as may be the case in most crops.
In autumn and spring, it is not advisable to allow levels of water stress in the olive tree, as it has a great productive impact.
In winter and summer, some water stress can be tolerated in the olive tree, and it will be watered accordingly. Irrigation in the olive tree should preferably be fairly spaced in time, based on significant irrigations of several hours, except in shallow soils.
