Fresh water scarcity in arid and semiarid regions promotes utilization of recycled wastewater (RWW) as an alternative irrigation source. Israel is one of the leading countries in utilizing RWW in agriculture. In a long-term field experiment, we evaluated irrigation and nutrient management of olives with RWW versus Fresh Water (FW) for eight consecutive years. Two olive cultivars were subjected to irrigation with RWW, either with standard or reduced fertilization, in comparison to irrigation with FW with standard fertilization. Trees irrigated with RWW receiving no additional fertilization for four years were not negatively impacted, indicating sufficient nutrient allocation by the RWW. Fruit yield was higher in RWW treatments compared to the FW, probably due to the presence of P in the RWW and the lack of P fertilization as commonly practiced in standard olive cultivation. Furthermore, oil composition, chemical quality parameters and organoleptic parameters were not affected by irrigation with RWW compared to FW during this period.
In conclusion, in addition to being a water source, RWW can serve also as an important source for nutrients.
