Response of Olive Trees (<i>Olea europaea</i> L.) cv. Kalinioti to Nitrogen Fertilizer Application

Nitrogen is the most commonly managed mineral nutrient in olive groves because it is essential for plant growth. The precise management of N fertilization in olive cultivation is still not fully clarified, but it is essential for providing sustainable production. A nitrogen fertilizer experiment wit...

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Main Authors: Dimitris Kotsias, Victor Kavvadias, Christos Pappas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-12-01
Series:Physiologia
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9488/4/1/2
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author Dimitris Kotsias
Victor Kavvadias
Christos Pappas
author_facet Dimitris Kotsias
Victor Kavvadias
Christos Pappas
author_sort Dimitris Kotsias
collection DOAJ
description Nitrogen is the most commonly managed mineral nutrient in olive groves because it is essential for plant growth. The precise management of N fertilization in olive cultivation is still not fully clarified, but it is essential for providing sustainable production. A nitrogen fertilizer experiment with olive trees (cv. Kalinioti) was carried out over a six-year period. Seven levels of nitrogen fertilizer given as ammonium nitrate (control, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 kg/tree) were annually applied in order to determine the effect of nitrogen on vegetative growth, fruit set, fruit weight, yield, maturation index, and leaf N, P, and K concentrations. The results indicate that, under these conditions, application of up to 4 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree significantly increased yield to 62.5 kg/tree compared to the control (37.09 kg/tree). The positive effect was attributed to the initial and final fruit set increases (7.63 and 3.73%, respectively at 4 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree). However, the weight of 100 olives (W<sub>100</sub> = 331 g) at 4 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree obtained during harvest was considerably lower compared to the control (W<sub>100</sub> = 384 g). Higher nitrogen rates decreased yield while increasing overall shoot growth. Nitrogen fertilization did not significantly influence the oil content of olive fruit. Fruit weight, maturation index, and concentration of oil reached maximum levels in the beginning of December, indicating a suitable start to olive harvesting. The concentration of N in olive leaves increased from 1.23% to 2.38% as fertilizer levels increased from 0 to 6 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>. Maximum yield was achieved at a level of 6 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree, which corresponded to 2.01% N in leaves. The results suggest that application of 3 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree can be recommended for table olive production, due to the fact that fruit weight was not decreased, while fertilization with 4 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree was suitable for oil olives.
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spelling doaj.art-5525f13ac3284085b70a33a2d2e68e272024-03-27T14:00:30ZengMDPI AGPhysiologia2673-94882023-12-0141435310.3390/physiologia4010002Response of Olive Trees (<i>Olea europaea</i> L.) cv. Kalinioti to Nitrogen Fertilizer ApplicationDimitris Kotsias0Victor Kavvadias1Christos Pappas2Direction of Agricultural Development, Region of Attiki, 15 Halkokondili Str., 10432 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Soil Science of Athens, Institute of Soil and Water Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization DIMITRA, 1 Sofokli Venizelou Str., Likovrisi, 14123 Athens, GreeceDirectorate of Development and Applications, Hellenic Agricultural Organization DIMITRA, Kourtidou 56-58 & Nirvana, 11145 Athens, GreeceNitrogen is the most commonly managed mineral nutrient in olive groves because it is essential for plant growth. The precise management of N fertilization in olive cultivation is still not fully clarified, but it is essential for providing sustainable production. A nitrogen fertilizer experiment with olive trees (cv. Kalinioti) was carried out over a six-year period. Seven levels of nitrogen fertilizer given as ammonium nitrate (control, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 kg/tree) were annually applied in order to determine the effect of nitrogen on vegetative growth, fruit set, fruit weight, yield, maturation index, and leaf N, P, and K concentrations. The results indicate that, under these conditions, application of up to 4 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree significantly increased yield to 62.5 kg/tree compared to the control (37.09 kg/tree). The positive effect was attributed to the initial and final fruit set increases (7.63 and 3.73%, respectively at 4 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree). However, the weight of 100 olives (W<sub>100</sub> = 331 g) at 4 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree obtained during harvest was considerably lower compared to the control (W<sub>100</sub> = 384 g). Higher nitrogen rates decreased yield while increasing overall shoot growth. Nitrogen fertilization did not significantly influence the oil content of olive fruit. Fruit weight, maturation index, and concentration of oil reached maximum levels in the beginning of December, indicating a suitable start to olive harvesting. The concentration of N in olive leaves increased from 1.23% to 2.38% as fertilizer levels increased from 0 to 6 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>. Maximum yield was achieved at a level of 6 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree, which corresponded to 2.01% N in leaves. The results suggest that application of 3 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree can be recommended for table olive production, due to the fact that fruit weight was not decreased, while fertilization with 4 kg NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>/tree was suitable for oil olives.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9488/4/1/2olive fruityieldammonium nitrateleaf concentrationfruit setoil content
spellingShingle Dimitris Kotsias
Victor Kavvadias
Christos Pappas
Response of Olive Trees (<i>Olea europaea</i> L.) cv. Kalinioti to Nitrogen Fertilizer Application
Physiologia
olive fruit
yield
ammonium nitrate
leaf concentration
fruit set
oil content
title Response of Olive Trees (<i>Olea europaea</i> L.) cv. Kalinioti to Nitrogen Fertilizer Application
title_full Response of Olive Trees (<i>Olea europaea</i> L.) cv. Kalinioti to Nitrogen Fertilizer Application
title_fullStr Response of Olive Trees (<i>Olea europaea</i> L.) cv. Kalinioti to Nitrogen Fertilizer Application
title_full_unstemmed Response of Olive Trees (<i>Olea europaea</i> L.) cv. Kalinioti to Nitrogen Fertilizer Application
title_short Response of Olive Trees (<i>Olea europaea</i> L.) cv. Kalinioti to Nitrogen Fertilizer Application
title_sort response of olive trees i olea europaea i l cv kalinioti to nitrogen fertilizer application
topic olive fruit
yield
ammonium nitrate
leaf concentration
fruit set
oil content
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9488/4/1/2
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