Muñoz-Santisteban et al. (2026) Impact of survival irrigation on a mature super-high-density olive orchard

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Irrigation Science
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-06-30
• Authors: María Muñoz-Santisteban, Luis Felipe Pérez-Romero, JosÃĐ Enrique Fernandez
• DOI: 10.1007/s00271-026-01137-x

Research Groups

• University of Cordoba (Spain)
• Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (IAS)

Short Summary

This study evaluates a deficit irrigation strategy, termed survival irrigation, to optimize olive production under extremely limited water availability in the Mediterranean Basin.

Objective

• Investigate the effects of survival irrigation on tree water status, gas exchange, vegetative growth, fruit and oil production, and nutrient uptake in super-high-density olive orchards.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: A 6–7-year-old ‘Arbequina’ orchard in southern Spain (1667 trees ha⁻¹).
• Temporal Scale: Two consecutive growing seasons (2023 and 2024).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None mentioned.
• Data sources: Field measurements, including leaf water potentials, stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis, trunk dendrometers, and leaf turgor pressure sensors.

Main Results

• Survival irrigation prevented nutrient deficiencies and maintained limited vegetative growth and fruit production under severe water stress conditions.
• Yields under survival irrigation reached 47% of those under full irrigation in 2023, while oil yield in 2024 represented 41.6% of the control.

Contributions

• This study provides original insights into the feasibility of deficit irrigation strategies for olive production under extremely limited water availability, contributing to the development of adaptation strategies for climate change mitigation in the Mediterranean Basin.

Funding

• This research was funded by projects RTA2018-00115-C02 and PID2021-123445NB-I00 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Citation

@article{MuñozSantisteban2026Impact,
  author = {Muñoz-Santisteban, María and Cuevas, María Victoria and Pérez-Romero, Luis Felipe and Fernandez, JosÃĐ Enrique},
  title = {Impact of survival irrigation on a mature super-high-density olive orchard},
  journal = {Irrigation Science},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1007/s00271-026-01137-x},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-026-01137-x}
}