A comparative study on fruit quality parameters and yield of four olive cultivars grown in sandy soil.

Four olive cultivars namely Manzanello, Picual, Coratina and Arbicon grown at Wadi El-Natroon area, Egypt under drip irrigation system in sandy soil were compared for optimizing their own yield as well as fruit quality parameters during 2001 (off-year) and 2002 (on-year), by application of an integrated and balanced fertigaion program including macro and micro-nutrients. Results showed that remarkable and significant differences in leaf mineral contents, yield and yield quality parameters were detected by using well distributed fertilizer program during the growing season of olive trees. The treated four cultivars attained higher yield in the “on” and “off” year than the control. The most outstanding olive cultivars having greater yield were Picual, Manzanello, Coratina and Arbicon in a descending order. Oil percentage was maximized with Picual olive while, Arbicon olive had the lowest value. Free fatty acids (%), Iodine number as well as Acidity (%) were minimized in Coratina olive and the lowest peroxide number as was in Picual olive. It is apparent that for planting Picual olive variety proved to be the promising one due to its greatest yield and best fruit quality specially when the actual requirements of macro and micro nutrients were used through the drip irrigation system.