Irrigation effects on some fructification parameters of olive cvs. Olea europaea L. 'Galega Vulgar', 'Cordovil de Serpa' and 'Verdeal Alentejana' in Alentejo.

摘要

This work attempts to evaluate irrigation effects on the olive tree's behaviour Olea europaea L. Thus, it was conceived and established in Alentejo, region of Serpa, one trial of irrigation under different conditions, irrigated and not irrigated, for three cultivars 'Galega Vulgar', 'Cordovil de Serpa' and 'Verdeal Alentejana', that are the base components of the 'Azeite de Moura' with protected denomination origin (DOP). This trial attempts to evaluate the effect of three different levels of water (170 L; 115 L and 85 L/water/day/tree) on the fructification of these cultivars. The following parameters: fruits of length, maximum diameter, minimum diameter and weight were measured. The evaluations were on 50 fruits/tree and the trial was designed in randomised complete blocks (split-plots) where the cultivars are the blocks and the different levels of water are sub blocks. The number of trees per plot is fifteen. This study shows the results of the last three years (2001; 2002 and 2003) and significant differences among treatments where observed. The analysis of results produced the following conclusions. The effect of the cultivars influenced all the results and the cv. 'Galega Vulgar' showed values lower in all parameters and differs significantly from the others two cultivars. The effect of different levels of water is particularly significant at 115 L/day/tree (D2) that shows the best results concerning all parameters evaluated. The effect on the interaction of cultivar x levels of water is not observed in the cv. 'Verdeal Alentejana' but the control (not irrigated) of this cultivar, showed the values were higher except for minimum diameter where the level of water 115 L/day/tree (D2) predominates.