Improved On-farm Irrigation Management

for Olive Growing L. Sikaoui1, N. El Jouni2, M. Karrou3

and V. Nangia3

1Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (Morocco) 2General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (Syria) 3International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

(Jordan/Morocco)

Acknowledgements

• The study was presented by the International Olives Council (IOC) to the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) for funding and was drawn up at the IOC Executive Secretariat in cooperation with the Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (IAS-CSIC), Spain, and the Instituto per i Sistemi Agricoli e Forestali del Mediterraneo (CNR-ISAFoM), Italy. CFC is an intergovernmental financial institution established within the framework of the United Nations, headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Study sites

More than 900,000 ha 9% of cultivated land 5% of agricultural GDP 16% of Morocco’s consumption requirements in edible vegetable oils 15% food exports 400,000 farms 100,000 jobs

Source: MAPM, 2011

olive : 65,46%

grape: 7,19%

date palm: 3,11%

rosacees: 3,42%

dry nuts: 5,26%

citrus 11,57%

grenade 0,41%

citrus 3,58%

Morocco

Olive plantation area

The olive plantation is spread over the northern half of the national territory, except the Atlantic coast

128.5

266 310

365

560

920

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1960/61 1970/71 1980/81 1990/91 2001/02 2010/11

Oliv

e g

row

ing

are

a (t

ho

usa

nd

ha)

Cropping season

- Olive growing area has increased in Morocco

- From 1960 to 2010, Olive planting area increased 7x

Source: MAPM, 2011

Moroccan Strategy For Olive Sector Development

(Plan Maroc Vert)

2009 2020

Total Area 680,000 ha 1,220,000 ha

Drip irrigation Area 17,000 ha 150,000 ha

Production (ton)

Total 700,000 2,500,000

Olive oil 60,000 273,000

Table olives 120,000 250,000

Exports

Olive oil 16,000 120,000

Table olive 60,000 150,000

Source: Contrat programme olivier

Syria

Distribution of cultivated varieties on agro-climatic conditions

Study general objectives

• To enhance crop yields of smallholder olive farmers in two Mediterranean countries - Morocco and Syria through the optimization of water management practices applied to olive cultivation

• Improved and more stable olive yields are going to lead to improved earnings and livelihoods for the targeted smallholder farmers

Specific objectives

• To increase yield of olive groves in the target areas by using advanced strategies

• To minimize yearly fluctuations in yield, and securing more stable farm income

• To increase water productivity of irrigated olive

Outputs O

utp

ut

1 Demonstration of

the potential of advanced irrigation for increasing olive yield above current levels in rainfed olive groves and in conventionally irrigated groves.

Ou

tpu

t 2

Demonstration of the potential of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) for increasing production under irrigation with a limited water supply

Ou

tpu

t 3

Demonstration of a) the advantages of irrigation on the quality of olive fruits;

b) the lack of detrimental effects on the quality of olive oil

Ou

tpu

t 4

Dissemination & training based on the new information on olive irrigation management obtained in the regions where pilot plots are established

Morocco • Rainfall ~ 200-250 mm

• Treatments (2 replicates of each)

– Flood irrigation (control)

– Irrigate at 100% ETc

– Irrigate at 70% ETc

Syria

Rainfall ~ 300-400 mm

Treatments (2 replicates of each)

Rainfed (control)

Irrigate at 100% CWR

Irrigate at 50% CWR

Results - Syria

• 2012

678

515

353

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

100% ETc 50% ETc Rainfed

Wat

er

app

lied

(ra

infa

ll +

irri

gati

on

, mm

)

Treatment

Olive Yield 11076

9828

7368

9984

7956

4056

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

100% ETc 50% ETc Rainfed

Yie

ld (

kg/h

a)

Treatment

Sorani cv.

Jlout cv.

Oil Yield

2437 2345

1178 1268 1218

769

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

100% ETc 50% ETc Rainfed

Oil

yie

ld (

kg/h

a)

Treatment

Water Productivity

1.63

1.91 2.09

1.47 1.54

1.15

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

100% ETc 50% ETc Rainfed

Wat

er

pro

du

ctiv

ity

(kg

/m3 E

T)

Treatment

Key results from 2012 data

• 50% ETc (353 mm rainfall + 162 mm irrigation) compared to rainfed plantation,

– fruit yield increased by 2,460 (33%) to 3,900 (96%) kg/ha

– Yield of Sorani cv. was always higher than Jlout cv. at all locations

– Water productivity ranged between 1.1 and 2.1 kg/m3 ET

– There was a further increase of 1,250 (13%) to 2,030 (25%) kg/ha by switching from 50% ETc to 100% ETc

Key results from 2012 data (cont’d)

The lowest WP was found for rainfed Sorani cv. at farmer’s field and highest for rainfed Sorani cv. at experimental station in Dara’a,

but yields were always higher for irrigated olives plantations compared to rainfed proving that there is a loss of yield if we do not irrigate

In terms of percentage oil extracted from fruit, Sorani cv. grown under 50% ETc treatment produced highest values (24%)

Key results from 2013 data (not shown here)

• Yields increased by as much as 113% (4,056 kg/ha vs. 8,580 kg/ha) when 142 mm of irrigation was applied (in addition to 416 mm rainfall) by drip

• A further increase of 1,560 kg/ha (21%) was achieved by applying additional 142 mm of irrigation (100% ETc) in addition to the rainfall

Results – Morocco 2012

649

492

1061

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

100% ETc 70% ETc Traditional

Wat

er

app

lied

(m

m)

Olive yield

7570 7760

4530

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

100% ETc 70% ETc Traditional

Oliv

e f

ruit

yie

ld (

kg/h

a)

Oil yield 1567 1629

951

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

100% ETc 70% ETc Traditional

Oil

yie

ld (

kg/h

a)

Water productivity

1.17

1.58

0.43

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

100% ETc 70% ETc Traditional

Wat

er

pro

du

ctiv

ity

(k

g/m

3 a

pp

lied

wat

er)

Key results from 2012 data

• Received less than normal rainfall (140 mm)

• Water requirement of olive trees, in addition to the rainfall, was higher than in normal year

• Traditional flood irrigation method consumed 1,061 mm of irrigation water and

– produced 1,150 kg/ha olive fruit yield

– at a WP of 0.19 kg/m3 ET

Key results from 2012 data (cont’d)

Switching to regulated drip irrigation reduced the water usage by 397 mm (44%) for 100% ETc treatment

along with an increase of 430 kg/ha of yield (37%)

70% ETc treatment further saved 66 mm water (13%) but

decreased yield by 260 kg/ha (16%)

Key results from 2013 data (not shown here)

• During 2013 growing season (a relatively normal year - 240mm) at experiment site in Marrakesh,

• by switching from traditional flood irrigation to drip irrigation, there was a

– saving of 47% of water (800 mm vs. 316 mm),

– 8% increase in olive fruit yield,

– 100% increase in water productivity (0.76 kg/m3 vs. 1.54 kg/m3) and

– 11% increase in oil yield

Key results from 2013 data (cont’d)

Another 48% saving of water (167 mm) was possible by applying deficit drip irrigation at 70% of ETc level

yield was 12% higher than traditional irrigation method,

water productivity was 200% higher and

oil yield was 18% higher

Statistical Analyses Differences (P < 0.05)

• Cultivar

• Irrigation treatment

• Oil yield

• Oil WP

• Olive yield

Overarching conclusions

• Applying a small amount of water by drip irrigation, in addition to rainfall, can be beneficial in two ways –

– it helps increase the yields of fruits as well as oil, and

– it helps stabilize the yields

• In Syria, SI helped increase yields

• In Morocco, RDI helped reduce water usage and improve WP

THANK YOU v.nangia@cgiar.org