Olive

1
Olive
PHYTOMONITORING in CROP GROWTH CONTROL
Application of the Phytomonitoring techniques
for adjustment and validation of irrigation
scheduling

• Phytech Ltd.
• 2003

2
Phytomonitoring is the Information and Decision
Support System based on direct measurement of
plant conditions
3
Recommended setup for Olives
1 x RS-ATH-5R Air Temperature and Humidity
Sensor (-10 to 50 C 0 to 100 RH)
Stationary Data Concentrator
3 x RS-DE-1R Dendrometer (0 to 10 mm)
Portable Data Shuttle
2 x RSD-SMS-2R Soil Moisture Sensor (0 to 50
vol. ) OR RS-TM-2R Twin Tensiometer (0 to 84
cbar)
PhytoGraph Software
4
Some Facts about Irrigation of Olives

• Two alternative irrigation strategies of olive
  trees
• Table olives non-stress strategy during all
  vegetation season
• Olives used for oil many growers practices
  application of mild to moderate stress at
  ripening stage

• The critical stages for irrigation are flowering
  and fruit cell division.

• Olives are moderately tolerant to salt and can be
  irrigated by fairly saline water with EClt8 dS/cm,
  EClt4.5 is preferable.

5
TABLE OLIVES Adjustment of irrigation
schedulewith the use of trunk diameter trend
TRUNK
Soil Moisture
Air VPD
A practical example of non-stress irrigation with
some signs of occasional water deficit disclosed
by the phytomonitoring.
6
OIL OLIVES Phytomonitoring discloses inaccurate
irrigation scheduling at critical flowering
stagewith the use of trunk diameter trend
Missed watering
The apparent water deficit, disclosed by the
phytomonitor
7
OIL OLIVES
Adjustment of irrigation schedulewith the use of
trunk diameter trend and DCA

• Undesired trunk diameter trend
• Strong reaction to irrigation after 7 days
  without irrigation

Soil Moisture
1
Trunk
2
VPD
8
OIL OLIVES Controlled deficit irrigation at
ripening stagewith the use of trunk diameter
trend and daily contraction (DCA)
Soil Moisture
Trunk
VPD
Recurring downturns of trunk trend and increasing
DCA are evident of certain water stress
9

OIL OLIVES Controlled deficit irrigation at
ripening stagewith the use of trunk diameter
trend and daily contraction (DCA)
Soil Moisture
Trunk
VPD
10
Summary and Economical benefits

• The recommended PhyTalk Decision-Support unit
  (DSU) includes
• 3 x Dendrometers (0-10 mm 1-2 µm resolution)
• 2 x Soil moisture sensors
• Air Temperature and Humidity Sensor

• This DSU allows adjusting irrigation regime
  according to a desired behavior of trunk diameter
  trend and daily contraction.
• Phytomonitoring may help the grower in
  realization of non-stress irrigation strategy for
  table olives and to keep a certain water deficit
  at ripening stage for oil olives. Both are key
  factors for efficient water use and high yield.