Abstract
The Mediterranean basin is characterized by hot and dry summers, which are aggravated by climate change, leading to water shortages for irrigation purposes. Olive trees (Olea europea L.) which are the most common cultivation in the area, while tolerant to drought conditions, are often irrigated due to the fact that they suffer from water deficits with negative impacts on yield. The knowledge of the onset and water stress intensity, essentially determines the accuracy of an irrigation schedule that avoids yield reduction and waste of water. Water stress can be quantified by stress coefficient Ks, as suggested by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Combinations and adjustments of the FAO method with field measured data have been used to calculate Ks more precisely and apply it on single experimental fields. The FAO method and a validation method were compared and evaluated with in situ measurements in two different olive orchards in terms of tree age and irrigation system. The results indicate that the FAO method fails to distinguish the differences between cultivars, attributed mainly to the tree age and irrigation system, rendering almost a similar slope of Ks and calculating a nearly simultaneous onset of stress, which was not confirmed by pre-dawn water potential (ΨPD) measurements.
Highlights
Olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most widespread cultivated native species in the Mediterranean region [1]
More than 90% of olive trees are cultivated for oil production and the rest of them for table olives, with Greece being the third producer after Spain and Italy [2]
The knowledge of the onset and the evolution of water stress is essential in order to design
Summary
Olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most widespread cultivated native species in the Mediterranean region [1]. More than 90% of olive trees are cultivated for oil production and the rest of them for table olives, with Greece being the third producer after Spain and Italy [2]. In these areas the Mediterranean climate is characterized by hot and dry summers, with high evaporative demand. Due to these conditions plants usually suffer from water deficits affecting plant production [3]. Its adaptability to such conditions is based on the synergy of two tactics; the avoidance of water stress onset and the capability to tolerate drought [4,5]
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