YIELD RESPONSE OF TABLE AND OIL OLIVE VARIETIES TO DIFFERENT WATER USE LEVELS UNDER DRIP IRRIGATION

In the ‘Kalamon’ and ‘Amfissis’ table-olives water use levels of 0.3Ep and 0.6Ep (Ep=class "A" pan evaporation) applied by drip irrigation were compared to non irrigation. Fruit yield per tree and fruit size were significantly higher in the irrigated treatments than in the non irrigated one but they did not differ significantly among the irrigated treatments. In the ‘Koroneiki’ oil variety water use levels of 1Ep till May and 0.3Ep, 0.45Ep and 0.6Ep for all season applied by drip irrigation were compared to non irrigation. Fruit yield per tree, which was significantly higher in all irrigated treatments, than in the non irrigated one, increased with the annual water use for the levels applied all the season, due to an increase in fruit number per tree. A higher fruit size and a lower oil content on fresh weight basis were observed in the 0.3Ep, 0.45Ep and 0.6Ep treatments in relation to the 1Ep till May and non irrigation. The 1Ep till May level, although the lowest in the annual base, obtained a fruit number per tree similar to that of the 0.6 level and an oil content as high as that of the non irrigated treatment. The higher oil yield was finally obtained with the 1Ep till May and with the 0.45Ep and 0.6Ep for all season water use levels. The 1Ep till May level combined higher oil yield and higher water use efficiency.