Abstract
The aim of the study was to identify the changes in olive and corresponding olive oil characteristics in response to irrigation. Five olive cultivars (Halhalı, Sarı ulak, Nizip Yağlık, Kilis Yağlık and Karamani) from Turkish origin were harvested from their own traditional growing region (Mardin, Mersin, Gaziantep, Kilis and Hatay respectively) from both irrigated and non-irrigated trees (rain-fed) for two consecutive crop years. Olives were processed to oil with a laboratory scale system. Olive fruits were analyzed for their physico-chemical properties and phenolic composition and olive oils were analysed for fatty acid, triacylglycerol and sterol composition. Results have shown that average weight, flesh/pit ratio of olives were lower and dry matter and oil content were higher in rain-fed trees than irrigated ones. Phenolic content and composition of fruits were cultivar dependent and responded differently to water supplement. Fatty acid composition of olive oils mainly remained unchanged, however the concentration of individual triacylglycerols behaved in distinct ways. Total sterol and β-sitosterol contents increased and decreased for various cultivars whereas Δ-5-avenasterol increased in all cases. Sarı ulak variety was well separated from other varieties by principal component and hierarchical cluster analysis both in rain-fed and irrigated treatments.
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