Decision-support system for Olive Orchard Management

Arnon Dag, Uri Yermiyahu, Isaac Zipori, Ran Erel, Alon Ben-Gal, Sagi Katz.

The olive cultivation industry is growing rapidly, due to the increasing consumer awareness regarding the health and gastronomic properties of olive oil. One of the major tools to increase oil production is olive cultivation intensification. Intensification includes high-density orchards with continuous irrigation and fertigation, which can increase the yield as much as four fold compared to non-intensive orchards. In parallel, the world market is demanding high-quality olive oil (Extra Virgin Olive oil). The rapid transition from rainfed to intensive orchards demands new protocols for irrigation, fertilization and determination of the optimal time to harvest. The ‘Gilat Olive Research Team’ is one of the leading research groups in the world in that respect. The objective of this project is to incorporate the knowledge on olive irrigation, fertilization and harvesting optimization into a freely access DSS that will be developed by ICL (Ag-Pulse). With respect to the irrigation regime, we will integrate the following parameters: evapotranspiration, plant water status, soil physical properties, soil water status, water quality (salinity as electrical conductivity), cultivation method (intensive/ super high density), desired oil quality, fruit load, cultivation region (Mediterranean, summer rains) and cover factor. With respect to the fertilization program, we will refer to the following inputs: leaf analysis data, soil analysis data, cultivation methods (intensive vs. rainfed), soil characteristics (organic matter, pH, sodicity), cultivation region (Mediterranean, summer rain), nutrients in the irrigation water (treated wastewater, brackish, desalinated.), desired oil quality, cultivar, fruit load. The output will be a fertilization (nutrition) program for the subsequent year (in rainfed orchards – dry formulations and winter application, in irrigated orchards – liquid formulation, summer application). Regarding harvest timing, the input will include; oil content in fruit dry matter, water content in the fruit, free fatty acids in the oil (obtained from a laboratory mill), sensory oil properties, cultivar, targeted oil quality, cultivation method (rainfed vs. irrigated). The output of the system will be optimal harvest timing and irrigation regime towards harvest.