The Effects of Different Mineral Clay Particles on Olive Yield and Olive Oil Quality of Two Cultivars Under Rainfed or Irrigated Conditions
2025
Petros Anargyrou Roussos | Asimina-Georgia Karyda | Georgios-Ioannis Mavromanolakis | Dimitrios Gkliatis | Maria Zoti
The olive tree is the emblematic tree of the Mediterranean basin, enduring intense irradiance and heat stress during prolonged dry summers. Particle film technology is a relatively new tool for mitigating both biotic and abiotic stress factors. In the present trial, two Greek olive cultivars, i.e., rainfed ‘Megaron’ and irrigated ‘Koroneiki’, were used to test the efficacy of kaolin, talc, and, for the first time, attapulgite clay particles as single and double foliar applications on the quantitative and qualitative traits of production. Clay particle treatments generally increased yield, resulting in higher olive oil production per tree. Oil quality parameters remained within the standards for extra virgin olive oil across all treatments. Talc differed from the other clay minerals, particularly in its effect on the free acid composition of the oil. Attapulgite application enhanced yield and oil production in ‘Koroneiki’, especially when compared to double kaolin application. Conversely, kaolin double application resulted in the highest yield and oil production in the ‘Megaron’ cultivar. These findings indicate that the efficacy of particle film treatments varies depending on multiple factors, yet they remain a valuable tool for mitigating the adverse effects of climate change on olive production. As this is the first study to test talc and attapulgite on olive trees, further research is required to fully elucidate the potential of particle film technology.
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