THE EFFECTS OF REGULATED DEFICIT IRRIGATION ON THE WATER DEMAND AND YIELD OF OLIVE TREES

Alternative water demand management techniques in the agricultural sector that lead to greater efficiency in the use of water are of increasing importance in arid and semi-arid environments as municipal and industrial sectors gain higher priority within water allocation regimes. This study examines the use and performance of a basic regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategy on olive trees in Jordan as a case study for the generally dry Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions and as an example of a practice that any farmer can easily adopt. Olive trees are tested under four different RDI treatment levels (100%, 75%, 65%, and 50%) of evapotranspiration and are measured for their quantity and quality of oil and fruits produced. Results indicate that an RDI level of 65% produces the highest oil content and reaps water savings of 21% with no adverse effects on the quality of the oil. The highest level of fruit production is still achieved with no RDI. The findings in this study underline the significance of adopting RDI for the production of olive oil and the potential for other crops to adopt RDI in order to hedge against impending water crises.