Abstract
In super-intensive hedgerows, vegetative vigor must be controlled to allow access to harvesting machinery, particularly under Argentina conditions in which olive trees display excessive vigor. During shoot growth (spring–early summer), flowering and fruit set also take place and the potential yield (bud number) for the following season is defined. The effect of spring–early summer deficit irrigation was studied as a tool to reduce vegetative growth and its influence on inflorescence development, oil yield, and its components. During three seasons in an olive hedgerow (cv. Arbosana), we evaluated a control irrigated at 70% ETc over the season and two regulated deficit treatments irrigated at 50% (RDI-1) and 30% (RDI-2) ETc during the shoot growth period (from August to January) and then 70% ETc until harvest (May). Hedgerows were mechanically topped and pruned annually on alternate sides. We observed that RDI-1 and RDI-2 reduced hedgerow height and width increment after hedging by 15% and 20%, respectively, compared to control. Inflorescence structures were not affected by water deficit, but the control treatment showed on average 5.8 fruits per fruiting inflorescence, significantly higher than 2.4 fruits per fruiting inflorescence observed in RDI-2. After the third season, RDI-1 and RDI-2 were 174% and 146% more productive than control hedgerows, where the pruned sides showed excessive vigor with lower floral bud induction in the following seasons. Fruit size and oil accumulation were also higher in both RDI-1 and RDI-2 than in control, due to greater fruit exposure to irradiance in most deficit treatments. Compared with control, RDI-1 and RDI-2 allowed water savings of 17% and 35%, respectively, but RDI-1 was more productive and had lower alternate bearing than RDI-2.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albarracín A, Hall AJ, Searles PS, Rousseaux MC (2017) Responses of vegetative growth and fruit yield to winter and summer mechanical pruning in olive trees. Sci Hortic 225:185–194
Allen RG, Pereira LS, Raes D, Smith M (1998) Crop Evapotranspiration. Guideline for Computing Crop Water Requirements. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56. FAO, Rome
Avidan B, Ogrodovitch A, Lavee S (1999) A reliable and rapid shaking extraction system for determination of the oil content in olive fruit. Acta Hortic 474:653–658
Boughalleb F, Hajlaoui H (2011) Physiological and anatomical changes induced by drought in two olive cultivars (cv. Zalmati and Chemlali). Acta Physiol Plant 33:53–65
Caruso G, Gucci R, Sifola MI, Selvaggini R, Urbani S, Esposto S, Taticchi A, Servili M (2017) Irrigation and fruit canopy position modify oil quality of olive trees (cv. Frantoio). J Sci Food Agric 97:3530–3539
Chalmers DJ, Mitchell PD, Vanheek L (1981) Control of peach tree growth and productivity by regulated water supply, tree density and summer pruning. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 106:307–312
Connor DJ, Gómez-del-Campo M, Rousseaux MC, Searles PS (2014) Structure, management and productivity of hedgerow olive orchards: a review. Sci Hortic 169:71–93
Connor DJ, Gómez-del-Campo M, Trentacoste ER (2016) Relationships between olive yield components and simulated irradiance within hedgerows of various row orientations and spacings. Sci Hortic 198:12–20
Correa-Tedesco G, Rousseaux MC, Searles PS (2010) Plant growth and yield responses in olive (Olea europaea) to different irrigation levels in an arid region of Argentina. Agric Water Manag 97:1829–1837
Fabbri A, Benelli C (2000) Flower bud induction and differentiation in olive. J Hortic Sci Biotechnol 75:131–141
Fereres E, Martinich D, Aldrich T, Castel JRE, HolZapfel E, Schulbach H (1982) Drip irrigation saves money in young almond orchards. Calif Agric 36(9):12–13
Fernández JE, Rodriguez-Dominguez CM, Perez-Martin A, Zimmermann U, Rüger S, Martín-Palomo MJ, Torres-Ruiz JM, Cuevas MV, Sann C, Ehrenberger W, Diaz-Espejo A (2011) Online-monitoring of tree water stress in a hedgerow olive orchard using the leaf patch clamp pressure probe. Agric Water Manag 100:25–35
Fernández J, Perez-Martin A, Torres-Ruiz J, Cuevas M, Rodriguez-Dominguez C, Elsayed-Farag S, Morales-Sillero A, García J, Hernandez-Santana V, Diaz-Espejo A (2013) A regulated deficit irrigation strategy for hedgerow olive orchards with high plant density. Plant Soil 372:295–297
Girona J, Luna M, Arbonés A, Mata M, Rufat J, Marsal J (2002) Young olive trees responses (Olea europaea cv. Arbequina) to different water supplies: water function determination. Acta Hortic 586:277–280
Gómez-del-Campo M, Rapoport H (2008) Descripción de la iniciación floral, floración, cuajado, caída de frutos y endurecimiento del hueso. Agric Rev Agropecu 907:400–406
Gómez-del-Campo M, Connor DJ, Trentacoste ER (2017) Long-term effect of intra-row spacing on growth and productivity of super-high density hedgerow olive orchards (cv. Arbequina). Front Plant Sci 8:1790
Grattan SR, Berenguer MJ, Connell JH, Polito VS, Vossen PM (2006) Olive oil production as influenced by different quantities of applied water. Agric Water Manag 85:133–140
Gucci R, Lodolini EM, Rapoport HF (2007) Productivity of olive trees with different water status and crop load. J Hortic Sci Biotechnol 82:648–656
Hartmann HT, Porlingis I (1957) Effect of different amounts of winter chilling on fruitfulness of several olive varieties. Bot Gaz 119(2):102–104
Hernandez-Santana V, Fernández JE, Cuevas MV, Perez-Martin A, Díaz-Espejo A (2017) Photosynthetic limitations by water deficit: effect on fruit and olive oil yield, leaf area and trunk diameter and its potential use to control vegetative growth of super-high density olive orchards. Agric Water Manag 184:9–18
Iniesta F, Testi L, Orgaz F, Villalobos FJ (2009) The effects of regulated and continuous deficit irrigation on the water use: growth and yield of olive trees. Eur J Agron 30:258–265
Lavee S (2007) Biennial bearing in olive (Olea europaea L.). Ann Ser Hist Nat 17:101–112
López-Olivari R, Ortega-Farías S, Poblete-Echeverría C (2016) Partitioning of net radiation and evapotranspiration over a superintensive drip-irrigated olive orchard. Irrig Sci 34:17–31
Marra FP, Marino G, Marchese A, Caruso T (2016) Effects of different irrigation regimes on a super-high-density olive grove cv. Arbequina: vegetative growth, productivity and polyphenol content of the oil. Irrig Sci 34:313–325
Mezghani MA, Charfi CM, Gouiaa M, Labidi F (2012) Vegetative and reproductive behaviour of some olive tree varieties (Olea europaea L.) under deficit irrigation regimes in semi-arid conditions of Central Tunisia. Sci Hortic 146:143–152
Moriana A, Pérez-López D, Prieto MH, Ramírez-Santa-Pau M, Pérez-Rodriguez JM (2012) Midday stem water potential as a useful tool for estimating irrigation requirements in olive trees. Agric Water Manag 112:43–54
Padilla-Díaz CM, Rodriguez-Dominguez CM, Hernandez-Santana V, Perez-Martin A, Fernández JE (2016) Scheduling regulated deficit irrigation in a hedgerow olive orchard from leaf turgor pressure related measurements. Agric Water Manag 164:28–37
Palese AM, Nuzzo V, Favati F, Pietrafesa A, Celano G, Xiloyannis C (2010) Effects of water deficit on the vegetative response, yield and oil quality of olive trees (Olea europaea L., cv Coratina) grown under intensive cultivation. Sci Hortic 125:222–229
Pierantozzi P, Torres M, Lavee S, Maestri D (2014) Vegetative and reproductive responses, oil yield and composition from olive trees (Olea europaea) under contrasting water availability during the dry winter-spring period in central Argentina. Ann Appl Biol 164:116–127
Puertas CM (2009) Efecto del riego deficitario controlado sobre el rendimiento y calidad de aceite en Olivo (Olea europaea L.) cv. Arbequina. Thesis MSc. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo
Rapoport HF, Hammami SB, Martins P, Pérez-Priego O, Orgaz F (2012) Influence of water deficits at different times during olive tree inflorescence and flower development. Environ Exp Bot 77:227–233
Rosecrance RC, Krueger WH, Milliron L, Bloese J, Garcia C, Mori B (2015) Moderate regulated deficit irrigation can increase olive oil yields and decrease tree growth in super high density Arbequina olive orchards. Sci Hortic 190:75–82
Trentacoste ER, Connor DJ, Gómez-del-Campo M (2015a) Row orientation: applications to productivity and design of hedgerows in horticultural and olive orchards. Sci Hortic 187:15–29
Trentacoste ER, Puertas CM, Sadras VO (2015b) Effect of irrigation and tree density on vegetative growth, oil yield and water use efficiency in young olive orchard under arid conditions in Mendoza, Argentina. Irrig Sci 33:429–440
Trentacoste ER, Connor DJ, Gómez-del-Campo M (2015c) Effect of olive hedgerow orientation on vegetative growth, fruit characteristics and productivity. Sci Hortic 192:60–69
Trentacoste ER, Moreno-Alías I, Gómez-del-Campo M, Beyá-Marshall V, Rapoport HF (2017) Olive floral development in different hedgerow positions and orientations as affected by irradiance. Sci Hortic 225:226–234
Trentacoste ER, Calderón FJ, Puertas CM, Banco AP, Contreras-Zanessi O, Galarza W, Connor DJ (2018a) Vegetative structure and distribution of oil yield components and fruit characteristics within olive hedgerows (cv. Arbosana) mechanically pruned annually on alternating sides in San Juan, Argentina. Sci Hortic 240:425–429
Trentacoste ER, Contreras-Zanessi O, Beyá-Marshall V, Puertas CM (2018b) Genotypic variation of physiological and morphological traits of seven olive cultivars under sustained and cyclic drought in Mendoza, Argentina. Agric Water Manag 196:48–56
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge Miguel Zuccardi from “Finca Zuelo-Familia Zuccardi” for allowing access to olive orchards where this research was conducted. We also thank Miguel Ballester and Guillermo Ojeda for their technical assistance in the management of olive hedgerows, and Vanesa Lucero, Antonella Balloni-Turinetto, and Pablo Portugués for their assistance with olive collection and laboratory analysis and Silvia Barbuzza for her help with proofreading. F. Calderón holds a pre-doctoral fellowship from INTA-CONICET.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by D. Goldhamer.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Trentacoste, E.R., Calderón, F.J., Contreras-Zanessi, O. et al. Effect of regulated deficit irrigation during the vegetative growth period on shoot elongation and oil yield components in olive hedgerows (cv. Arbosana) pruned annually on alternate sides in San Juan, Argentina. Irrig Sci 37, 533–546 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-019-00632-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-019-00632-8