The Hidrolivar project, whose main objective is to optimize water use in olive groves through the installation of hydro-infiltration devices, has concluded with “very satisfactory” results, according to its promoters. This innovative technology, developed by the University of Granada (UGR), has proven effective in both low and moderate rainfall conditions, allowing for more efficient water resource management.
During the months of implementation and monitoring, it was verified that the hydro-infiltration devices were able to capture runoff water generated by rainfall, even when it was scarce due to the high impermeability of the soil. This water, instead of evaporating or being lost through surface runoff, infiltrated the subsoil, replenishing the olive trees’ water reserves at key moments in the phenological cycle, such as flowering and fruit set.
The data obtain
ed in the field have confirmed a significant improvement in olive production and quality, as well as an increase in the fruit’s oil content. Compared to control plots without hydro-infiltrators, the farms that participated in the project showed greater soil water availability, less water erosion, and better agronomic results.
Furthermore,Hidrolivar has incorporated moisture sensors that have advanced the digitalization of olive groves, providing precise information for irrigation decisions and contributing to a more rational and sustainable use of water. This combination of technologies has demonstrated that it is possible to modernize olive cultivation and prepare it for the effects of climate change.
The Operational Group responsible for the project consisted of Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Granada, the University of Granada (as technical coordinator), the company Hidroinfiltrador S.L., Oleoestepa, and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
Thanks to the project’s success, “this opens the door to implementing this technology in more olive-growing areas of Andalusia and other Mediterranean regions, as an effective, sustainable, and adaptive solution to the sector’s current and future challenges,” they emphasized.
Source: Mercacei