Intelligent irrigation control in olive groves (Olea europea L.): a novel approach for water resource optimization

• Published in: Acta horticulturae no. 949; pp. 343 - 350
• Main Authors: Vita Serman, F, Capraro, F, Tosetti, S, Cornejo, V, Carelli, A, Ceci, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Society for Horticultural Science 01.01.2012
• Subjects: agricultural soils; field capacity; fruit set; groves; harvesting; irrigation management; normal values; Olea europaea; olives; roots; soil water; water resources; Argentina
• ISSN: 0567-7572
• DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.949.50

In the last years, irrigation control in agricultural soils has been mainly focused on the optimization of the use of water resources, in order to overcome the difficulties imposed by a growing water demand and to reduce extraction costs. This work presents the field implementation of an automatic irrigation controller, as a novel approach for water resource optimization. The developed closed-loop irrigation control system includes the moisture measurement in roots zone and the control of the irrigation valves in order to maintain the moisture level around a set value. The controller determines when and how much to irrigate as a function of the current difference between soil moisture measurements and the reference values. The system is used in three irrigation treatments with different set-point moisture level: T1: soil moisture at field capacity; T2: water deficit level from pit hardening to harvest (40% of field capacity); and T3: water deficit level from fruit set to harvest (40% of field capacity). Experiences were carried out in a four-year-old experimental olive orchard grown ‘Arbequina’, located in San Juan, Argentina. Controller was able to maintain soil moisture values around the reference value, a fact that allows performing different irrigation strategies. Productive and qualitative parameters were affected by applying water deficit treatments in different phenological moments, the obtained oil quality being especially affected.