Evaluation of water footprint for table olive groves of Olea europaea L. 'Konservolea'

Abstract

As agriculture appears to be globally the greatest water user and water scarcity, due to fresh water shortages or deterioration of fresh water quality, is listed among the major global risks, efficient use of water resources is closely linked to sustainable agricultural practices. Water footprint (WF) has been largely employed during the last decade as a useful tool for planning efficient water management strategies at global, national, regional or even water basin level. WF is an indicator that is based on methods and tools that calculate the amount of water used along the full supply chain of a product. 'Konservolea' is a local table olive cultivar assigned as a protected geographical indication (PGI) product of Arta, Greece. It is the main table olive cultivar in the area, it has a significant impact on local economy and it exhibits favorable economic and market prospects. In this study the WF of 'Konservolea' was calculated based on actual data from four olive groves and the results are presented and discussed. All four groves were conventionally treated according to the local practices regarding pruning, fertilisation, plant protection, etc. Three of the olive groves were irrigated, while the fourth was rainfed. The WF of the four olive groves ranged from 354 to 961 m3 t-1 of olive fruit. The results provide a first yet solid assessment of the WF of table olive crop in the area and underline the effect of different agronomic practices on WF. Practical difficulties regarding the calculation of WF that need to be further investigated and resolved are pointed out. © 2022 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.