NETAFIM Global
produce consistent olive yields with precision irrigation.
Whether your olives are destined for the family table or for oil production, your customers demand top flavour while your bottom line requires a consistent yield. Drip irrigation puts you directly in control of taste while reducing the extremes of alternate bearing.
Why choose precision irrigation for olive groves?
- Produce 60% more by optimising vegetative growth balance
By irrigating according to the Regulative Deficit Index (RDI), you control water and therefore stress periods, achieving the ideal balance between vegetation and production. Decide on your trees’ behalf where to invest growth at which time, skyrocketing your production not only this year but also laying the groundwork for next year’s crop. - Generate consistent yields
Stop depending on rain combined with hope. Take control of your yield by proactively managing your soil moisture with drip irrigation, ensuring optimal conditions and reducing alternate bearing. - Manage your water, and in turn, your quality
Without rain or irrigation, olive trees enter stress conditions, shrinking and dropping fruit. Precision irrigations gives you the power to control water stress in specific development periods, inducing polyphenolic synthesis, ultimately positioning you to actively manage the aromatic profile of your oil. - An all-terrain solution
Think your uneven topography makes your grove a bad candidate for precision irrigation? Think again. Drip is like an all-terrain vehicle: it works effectively in every landscape, even when terrain in uneven, and is effective in every plot size with all types of soil. You can even customise your system and install drip-lines under the surface to prevent interference with farming machinery. It’s like a 4X4 for your olives.
Olive FAQs
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How can I minimise alternate bearing in my olive trees?
Unfortunately, alternate bearing is common in all fruit trees, including olives. The high/low yield fluctuation is influenced by three factors: correlation between vegetative growth and fruit load, climate, and the trees’ level of water stress. Controlling water reduces plant stress by ensuring that the soil is always at an optimal level of moisture. Precision fertigation guarantees that nutrients are reaching the tree at the precise time the tree is ready to receive them. The one-two punch of precision irrigation plus fertigation significantly reduces alternate bearing, positioning you to produce consistently high yields.
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Do driplines have to remain above ground or can they be installed subsurface?
Harness the power of flexibility and customisation! Driplines for olives can either remain above ground or be installed subsurface, depending on your requirements. Subsurface drip irrigation means that the driplines are protected from cultivation and harvesting machinery, which is a significant agro-mechanical advantage. In addition, subsurface installation guarantees that both water and nutrients are applied directly to the root zone. If, however, you prefer easy inspection and are working within a limited budget (subsurface installation does add some cost), above ground dripperlines may be the way to go. Whatever your challenges, our solutions can rise to meet them.
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Why should I choose precision irrigation over other more economical methods?
Although drip irrigation requires a bigger initial investment, you’ll experience immediate, significant savings on both water and labour. Drip irrigation uses 30% less water than sprinklers, while increasing yield by up to 60%. With precision fertigation, you spend zero on labour and machinery cost related to fertilisation, A reduced investment in resources coupled with higher productivity makes drip irrigation for olives the best decision for your bottom line.
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When should I start irrigating and how much water should I apply?
With olives, each development phase requires a specified water regimen, so you need all the control you can get. Right before inflorescence, for example, water must be sufficient and consistent to ensure that every flower becomes a fruit. Ample irrigation should continue during oil accumulation, but once the pit hardens, water should be immediately reduced. Following the harvest, conditions for the next production cycle are being set in motion, so irrigating and reducing water stress will help to reduce alternate bearing. With olives, control is the name of the game, and the only way to secure the level of control you need is precision irrigation.
DO YOU NEED HELP TO FIND THE BEST SOLUTION FOR YOUR CROP?
Contact us to know more and explore the relationship between irrigation and quality.
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