Preliminary observations on the use of microtensiometers to continuously measure water potential in a mature olive orchard

The modern cultivation of olive needs to be performant and sustainable. Stem water potential (SWP) is a key indicator to implement precise irrigation and increase system productivity, but it is a manual and labor-intense measurement. New trunk-embedded microtensiometers allow to measure trunk water potential (TWP) continuously, and in this study we report for the first time their performance in olive. TWP values were generally higher than SWP values measured with the pressure chamber. The values of both indicators showed a very clear trend in response to irrigation and similar relative changes. Overall, this new technology looks promising but further studies are needed.