Productivity and Fruit Quality of Manzanello and Picual Olive (Olea europaea L.) Cultivars as Influenced by Spraying Lithovit under Different Irrigation Levels

Abstract

Olive tree is the favorable choice to cultivate in desert lands due to high stress tolerance of its tree. Although olive tree tolerates the low availability of water in the soil by means of morphological, physiological and biochemical adaptations, the Productivity and fruit quality of it decrease gradually with increasing water stress. So we have initiated this study to follow up the effect of spraying Lithovit (Ca CO3 & Mg CO3) on the productivity and fruit quality of Picual and Manzanello olives which exposure to different irrigation levels. Four concentrations of Lithovit were sprayed on olive (Olea europaea var. Manzanello) trees (0, 2, 4 and 6 g/L) under three irrigation levels (50, 75 and 100% of evapotranspiration for crop “ETc”) during 2017, 2018 seasons.
 Spraying Lithovit at 6 g/L recorded the highest values of all fruit physical characteristics of both cultivars in the two seasons. Furthermore, 2 g/L had the highest values of retained fruit percentage of both cultivars which led to increase the yield in the first and second seasons. Concerning irrigation levels, the values of fruit physical characteristics of both cultivars were the lowest values with applying 50% of ETc irrigation level. These values increased with decreasing water stress in the first and second seasons. Concerning retained fruit percentage and yield of Picual and Manzanello, the most promising level of irrigation was 75% of ETc level because it recorded the highest values of yield. Moreover 100% of ETc enhanced the fruit quality.