CHEMICAL

AND BIOCHEMICAL FERTILITY OF SOIL UNDER DIFFERENT

DEFICIT IRRIGATION STRATEGIES IN OLIVE AND ALMOND ORCHARDS
Engracia MADEJÓN12 – Mireia CORELL23-Luis ANDREU23-Maria José MARTÍN PALOMO23 Pedro DÍAZ, Alfonso MORIANA23
1.- Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville. Av. Reina Mercedes, 10, 41012, Sevilla, Spain.
2.- Unidad Asociada al CSIC de Uso sostenible del suelo y el agua en la agricultura (Universidad de Sevilla-IRNAS) Crta de Utrera Km 1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
3 .-Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, ETSIA, Crta de Utrera Km 1. 41013 Seville (Spain).

• Soil samples were taken from the surface layer (0-20cm). The parameters
OBJETIVES analyzed were: soil moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, water-
soluble carbon content, N-Kjedahl, P Olsen and K available. Four enzymatic
A B

activities were also determined: dehydrogenase, indicator of the general

• In this work we evaluate the effect of different deficit irrigation microbial activity of the soil; β-glucosidase, involved in the carbon cycle;
strategies on the chemical and biochemical fertility of the soil phosphatase, involved in the phosphorus cycle; and urease, involved in the
nitrogen cycle.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

C D

• Soils of two trials were analyzed, in two different commercial plots

located in the province of Seville. One is located in the municipal district
of Dos Hermanas (Finca "la Florida"), with waters from an irrigation
canal, and the other, in the municipal district of Carmona (Finca "El
Morillo"), with residual waters from a treatment plant. Both farms have
an experimental design of four blocks with four irrigation treatments
each. The four irrigation treatments were: C. Control 100% crop
evapotranspiration, RDI-1. Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) with a
period of water stress during kernel filling (phase II) and full irrigated
conditions for the rest of the season. RDI-2. Regulated deficit irrigation
for the same period that RDI-1, but with 100 mm of maximum seasonal
water applied. SDI. Sustained deficit irrigation throughout the
experiment with 100 mm maximum seasonal water applied.
• Figure 1.- Mean values and standard error of enzymatic activity A: dehydrogenase
• Almond Crop (Left) and Olive crop (Right).
• The results showed that the Controlled Deficit Irrigation techniques did not
significantly affect the chemical and biochemical properties of the soil. A slight
trend towards more favourable values was observed in the Control treatment
probably due to the highest soil water content. The quality of the residual treated
water was high enough not to adversely affect the quality of the soil the olive
(μg INTF g-1 h-1); B: β-glucosidase (μmolesPNF g-1 h-1); C: phosphatase (μmol
PNF / g-1 h-1), ; D: urease (μmoles N-NH4 + g-1 h-1), in the four irrigation
treatments in almonde crop at “La Florida” farm. (C: control, 100% ETc; RDC:
deficit irrigation controlled without water limit; RDC-C: Regulated deficit irrigation
with confederation limit; RDS: sustained deficit irrigation with confederation
limit).
A B

RESULTS cultivation. The use of sensors of variation of the trunk and the hydric potential
of the stem, allowed to plan adequately the Controlled Deficit Irrigation, but it
did not suppose neither negative nor positive impact in the soil.

Table 1. Mean values (± standard error; n = 4) of soil chemical and biochemical properties under different irrigation treatments over the Almond crop at “La Florida” farm.
(C: control, 100% ETc; RDC: deficit irrigation controlled without water limit; RDC-C: Regulated deficit irrigation with confederation limit; RDS: sustained deficit irrigation with
confederation limit).
C D
% moisture C water-soluble
Treat. Yield (kg.ha )
-1 pH C.E. (mS.cm )
-1 % M.O. N Kjeldahl (%) P-Olsen (mg/kg) K-available (mg/kg)
content (mg kg)
C 4692 ± 910 a 19.9 ± 0.9 c 8.2 ± 0.16 a 215.6 ± 43.8 2.97 ± 0.25 b 24.34 ± 0.91 0.15 ± 0.01 b 115.85 ± 18.20 b 316.00 ± 10.61

RDI 1941 ± 419 b 14.4 ± 0.9 b 8.6 ± 0.04 b 242.1 ± 31.3 2.69 ± 0.12 ab 28.58 ± 4.66 0.14 ± 0.0 ab 81.60 ± 14.92 ab 523.50 ± 106.15

RDI-C 1658 ± 284 b 16.9 ± 0.6 bc 8.7 ± 0.05 b 209.6 ± 22.5 2.46 ± 0.06 ab 28.10 ± 3.28 0.13 ± 0.0 a 41.58 ± 12.33 a 331.50 ± 69.06
• Figure 2 . Mean values and standard error of enzymatic activity A: dehydrogenase
SD 2396 ± 384 b 8.6 ± 1.5 a 8.6 ± 0.03 b 278.5 ± 64.9 2.29 ± 0.02 a 25.31 ± 3.15 0.13 ± 0.0 a 44.10 ± 14.46 a 356.25 ± 43.15 (μg INTF g-1 h-1); B: β-glucosidase (μmolesPNF g-1 h-1); C: phosphatase (μmol
PNF / g-1 h-1), ; D: urease (μmoles N-NH4 + g-1 h-1), in the four irrigation
Table 2. Mean values (± standard error; n = 4) of soil chemical and biochemical properties under different irrigation treatments over the Olive crop at “Morillo” farm. (C:
treatments in olive crop at “Morillo” farm. (C: control, 100% ETc; RDC: deficit
control, 100% ETc; RDC: deficit irrigation controlled without water limit; RDC-C: Regulated deficit irrigation with confederation limit; RDS: sustained deficit irrigation with irrigation controlled without water limit; RDC-C: Regulated deficit irrigation with
confederation limit). confederation limit; RDS: sustained deficit irrigation with confederation limit).
% moisture C water-soluble
Treat. Yield (kg.ha )-1 pH C.E. (mS.cm )-1 % M.O. N Kjeldahl (%) P-Olsen (mg/kg) K-available (mg/kg)
content (mg kg)
C 17675 ± 1426 14.51±0.33 8.96±0.09 223.50±12.11 2.14±0.30 32.97±1.22 0.11±0.01 27.88±3.47 654.00±25.83
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
RDI 15554 ± 1417 8.73±1.25 8.91±0.05 221.55±27.05 2.68±0.15 37.83±0.98 0.13±0.01 33.65±4.96 744.25±13.24
• This work was funded by the Agencia Española de Investigación (AEI) and the
RDI-C 16637 ± 918 8.24±1.68 8.80±0.04 177.13±17.53 2.07±0.03 31.16±2.01 0.11±0.00 32.10±5.13 660.25±38.38 Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo (FEDER) project AGL2016-75794-C4-4-R.

SD 14399 ± 989 10.77±2.26 8.74±0.04 193.80±10.94 2.92±0.26 33.33±1.07 0.14±0.02 31.95±4.00 647.50±17.65