Articles
FERTIGATION OF YOUNG OLIVE TREES IN MARCHE REGION, CENTRAL ITALY: PRELIMINARY STUDY RESULTS
Article number
888_33
Pages
289 – 294
Language
English
Abstract
In the northern Mediterranean regions, local olive varieties may experience mild water stress during the summer and dangerous winter freezing in non-acclimated tissues, particularly if excess of N is applied to the soil at the end of winter or in spring.
Therefore, to enhance vegetative growth, exploit crop load potential and better acclimatize the young plants to winter so as to avoid late growth in autumn, the use of specific fertilization must be studied.
The objective of the present work was to investigate the influence of a dynamic nutritional supply via irrigation (fertigation) to increase whole-plant growth and to obtain early onset of production in a 4-year-old olive orchard (cultivar Ascolana tenera for table consumption). Three different amounts of N were applied to the olives (0, 60 and 120 g per plant) in 2008. The ratio among the nutrients (N:P:K) was modified throughout the growing season according to phenological stage, from 50:1:10 at bud break to 2.5:1:10 at fruit veraison.
All trees received the same amount of water during the summer.
Fertigation increased average fruit production per tree, by maintaining a higher crop load without decreasing the final fruit weight.
Fertigation improved nutritional status of the trees, increasing the availability of N, P and K at critical phenological stages (full bloom and fruit set) and avoiding excess nutrients in the leaves.
Thus fertigation of young olives contributed to vegetative growth and induced earlier fruit production with high-quality fruits (size and pulp firmness); water stress during the summer was mild and fertigation better prepared the plants for acclimation before winter.
Therefore, to enhance vegetative growth, exploit crop load potential and better acclimatize the young plants to winter so as to avoid late growth in autumn, the use of specific fertilization must be studied.
The objective of the present work was to investigate the influence of a dynamic nutritional supply via irrigation (fertigation) to increase whole-plant growth and to obtain early onset of production in a 4-year-old olive orchard (cultivar Ascolana tenera for table consumption). Three different amounts of N were applied to the olives (0, 60 and 120 g per plant) in 2008. The ratio among the nutrients (N:P:K) was modified throughout the growing season according to phenological stage, from 50:1:10 at bud break to 2.5:1:10 at fruit veraison.
All trees received the same amount of water during the summer.
Fertigation increased average fruit production per tree, by maintaining a higher crop load without decreasing the final fruit weight.
Fertigation improved nutritional status of the trees, increasing the availability of N, P and K at critical phenological stages (full bloom and fruit set) and avoiding excess nutrients in the leaves.
Thus fertigation of young olives contributed to vegetative growth and induced earlier fruit production with high-quality fruits (size and pulp firmness); water stress during the summer was mild and fertigation better prepared the plants for acclimation before winter.
Authors
E.M. Lodolini, P. Falleroni, S. Polverigiani, D. Neri
Keywords
Olea europaea L., irrigation, fertilization, fruit set, ‘Ascolana tenera’
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