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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 60(3)

Root length density and soil water distribution in drip-irrigated olive orchards in Argentina under arid conditions

Peter S. Searles A B , Diego A. Saravia A and M. Cecilia Rousseaux A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A CRILAR-CONICET, Entre Rios y Mendoza s/n, Anillaco 5301, La Rioja, Argentina.

B Corresponding author. Email: psearles@crilar-conicet.com.ar

Crop and Pasture Science 60(3) 280-288 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP08135
Submitted: 23 April 2008  Accepted: 20 November 2008   Published: 16 March 2009

Abstract

Several studies have evaluated many above-ground aspects of olive production, but essential root system characteristics have been little examined. The objective of our study was to evaluate root length density (RLD) and root distribution relative to soil water content in three commercial orchards (north-west Argentina). Depending on the orchard, the different drip emitter arrangements included either: (1) emitters spaced continuously at 1-m intervals along the drip line (CE-4; 4 emitters per tree); (2) 4 emitters per tree spaced at 1-m intervals, but with a space of 2 m between emitters of neighbouring trees (E-4); or (3) 2 emitters per tree with 4 m between emitters of neighbouring trees (E-2). All of the orchards included either var. Manzanilla fina or Manzanilla reina trees (5–8 years old) growing in sandy soils, although the specific characteristics of each orchard differed. Root length density values (2.5–3.5 cm/cm3) in the upper soil depth (0–0.5 m) were fairly uniform along the drip line in the continuous emitter (CE-4) orchard. In contrast, roots were more concentrated in the E-4 and E-2 orchards, in some cases with maximum RLD values of up to 7 cm/cm3. Approximately 70% of the root system was located in the upper 0.5 m of soil depth, and most of the roots were within 0.5 m of the drip line. For each of the three orchards, significant linear relationships between soil water content and RLD were detected based on 42 sampling positions that included various distances from the trunk and soil depths. Values of RLD averaged over the entire rooting zone and total tree root length per leaf area for the three orchards were estimated to range from 0.19 to 0.48 cm/cm3 and from 1.8 to 3.5 km/m2, respectively. These results should reduce the uncertainty associated with the magnitude of RLD values under drip irrigation as intensively managed olive orchards continue to expand in established and new growing regions.

Additional keywords: high density, Olea europaea L., root mass, soil auger.


Acknowledgments

We thank Agroaceitunera S.A., Huaco S.A., and Olivar S.A. for access to their commercial orchards; Santiago Leibana, Karis Gottleib, and José Ruiz for technical assistance; and David Connor and Guillermo Correa Tedesco for critical review of an earlier version of the manuscript. Partial funding was provided by Fundación Antorchas and as a Young Investigator Award (08-11079) to MCR from the Argentine Secretariat of Science and Technology.


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