Salinity Tolerance of Novel and Established Olive (Olea europaea L.) Cultivars for Super-High-Density Systems

Rius-García, Xavier ; Videgain-Marco, María (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Casanova-Gascón, José (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Acuña-Rello, Luis ; Martín-Ramos, Pablo

Resumen: The olive industry is transitioning from traditional to super-high-density (SHD) systems to optimize production costs and address labor shortages. This shift coincides with increasing challenges from soil salinization and deteriorating irrigation water quality. This study evaluated salinity tolerance in three novel olive cultivars (Lecciana, Coriana, and Sikitita) against the established SHD references Arbequina and Arbosana under controlled greenhouse conditions over five months with increasing NaCl concentrations (25, 50, and 75 mM). The analysis revealed distinct adaptation mechanisms among cultivars. Arbosana exhibited balanced tolerance across parameters, with minimal biomass reduction and remarkable photosynthetic resilience. Lecciana demonstrated superior ion regulation, maintaining the highest K+/Na+ ratios across all salinity levels despite pronounced shoot growth sensitivity at high salinity. Sikitita showed moderate tolerance through biomass maintenance but with significant photosynthetic sensitivity under stress. Arbequina displayed effective chloride exclusion and consistent shoot growth despite biomass sensitivity, whereas Coriana presented notable biomass increases at moderate salinity but poor ion discrimination. Tissue-specific analysis revealed common compartmentalization patterns across cultivars, with roots accumulating the highest Na+ and Cl− concentrations. These data identify Arbosana and Lecciana as promising candidates for salinized SHD orchards.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/horticulturae11080957

Año: 2025

Publicado en: Horticulturae 11, 8 (2025), 957 [26 pp.]
ISSN: 2311-7524

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Area Ingeniería Agroforestal (Dpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural)
Área (Departamento): Área Producción Vegetal (Dpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural)