Long-Term Impact of Phosphorous Fertilization on Yield and Alternate Bearing in Intensive Irrigated Olive Cultivation

Plants

Ran Erel¹  Uri Yermiyahu¹  Amnon Haberman¹  Isaac Zipori¹  Nerya Shtern¹  Alon Ben-Gal¹  Arnon Dag¹ 

[1] Gilat Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, M.P. Negev 85280, Gilat, Israel;

关键词: Olea europaea;    fertigation;    fruit set;    flowering;    mineral nutrition;   

DOI  :  10.3390/plants10091821

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Phosphorus (P) availability significantly impacts olive tree reproductive development and consequential fruit production. However, the importance of P fertilization in olive cultivation is not clear, and P application is usually recommended only after P deficiency is identified. In order to determine the long-term impacts of continuous P fertilization in intensive irrigated olive cultivation, the growth and production of trees in an intensive orchard with or without P fertilization were evaluated over six consecutive seasons. Withholding of P resulted in significant reduction in soil P quantity and availability. Under lower P availability, long-term fruit production was significantly impaired due to reduced flowering and fruit set. In addition, trees under conditions of low P were characterized by higher alternate bearing fluctuations. Olive tree vegetative growth was hardly affected by P fertilizer level. The impairment of tree productivity was evident in spite of the fact that leaf P content in the treatment without P fertilization did not decrease below commonly reported and accepted thresholds for P deficiency. This implies that the leaf P content sufficiency threshold for intensive olive orchards should be reconsidered. The results demonstrate the negative impact of insufficient P fertilization and signify the need for routine P fertilization in intensive olive cultivation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown