Environmental and Agro-Economic Sustainability of Olive Orchards Irrigated with Reclaimed Water under Deficit Irrigation

Daniela Vanella, Simona Consoli, Alberto Continella, Gaetano Chinnici, Mirco Milani, Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli, Mario D’Amico, Giulia Maesano, Alessandra Gentile, Paolo La Spada, Francesco Scollo, Giulia Modica, Laura Siracusa, Giuseppe Longo-Minnolo () and Salvatore Barbagallo
Additional contact information
Daniela Vanella: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Simona Consoli: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Alberto Continella: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Gaetano Chinnici: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Mirco Milani: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Mario D’Amico: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Giulia Maesano: Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 50, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Alessandra Gentile: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Paolo La Spada: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Francesco Scollo: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Giulia Modica: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Laura Siracusa: Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ICB-CNR), Via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy
Giuseppe Longo-Minnolo: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy
Salvatore Barbagallo: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 98, 95123 Catania, Italy

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 20, 1-22

Abstract: Increasing the economic and environmental sustainability of irrigated agriculture is a vital challenge for the Mediterranean crop production sector. This study explores the effects of the adoption of reclaimed water (RW) as source of irrigation in conjunction with the application of deficit irrigation strategies in an olive orchard (different genotypes) located within the “Valle dei Margi” farmhouse (Eastern Sicily). Specifically, the RW was obtained in situ by treating the wastewater coming from the farmhouse throughout a nature-based treatment wetland system (TW). The effects of RW on crop water status (CWS) was assessed by conducting plant-based measurements (i.e., leaf water potential, Ψ; and leaves’ relative water content, RWC) and determining satellite-based biophysical indicators. An economic and environmental evaluation of the proposed sustainable irrigation practices was carried out using the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The RW quality showed high variability due to fluctuations in the number of customers at the farmhouse during the COVID-19 pandemic period. A strong impact on the variation in Ψ was observed among the olive orchard under the different water regimes, evidencing how CWS performances are conditioned by the genotype. However, no differences in leaves’ RWC and in satellite-based biophysical indicators were detected. Finally, the results of the LCA analysis underlined how the use of RW may permit us to obtain important economic and environmental gains, representing an added value for olive growing for operating in accordance to more sustainable development models.

Keywords: constructed wetland; physiological indicators; sustainable management practices; water-saving strategies; wastewater treatment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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