Olive Yield and Physicochemical Properties of Olives and Oil in Response to Nutrient Application under Rainfed Conditions.

Abstract

The effects of mineral fertilizers on the physicochemical properties of olives and oil under rainfed conditions is scarce. In this three-year study, the results of a nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and boron (B) fertilization trial carried out in a young rainfed olive grove and arranged as a nutrient omission trial are reported. The control consisted of the application of N, P, K and B (NPKB) and four other treatments corresponded to the removal of one of them (N0, P0, K0 and B0). Olive yield and several variables associated with the physicochemical properties of olives and oil were evaluated. The NPKB treatment increased olive yield compared to the treatment that did not receive N (N0). Although dependent on the climate conditions of the crop season, the NPKB treatment increased fruit weight and the pulp/pit ratio and its fruits tended to accumulate more oil than K0. However, the phenolics concentrations on fruits and oil tended to be lower. All olive oil samples were classified in the "extra virgin" category and all showed a decrease in its stability between 3 and 15 months of storage, regardless of treatment, especially in N0, P0 and B0 treatments. The results of the sensorial analysis indicate that all the oils fell into the medium fruitiness and greenly-fruity category. Only in P0 and B0 were defects detected, namely muddy sediment. Thus, this study seems to indicate the importance of N application, but also a balanced nutrient application and that further studies are needed, given the difficulty in finding clear trends in the response of measured variables to fertilizer treatments.