Evaluation of fruit characteristics and yield of six commercial olive cultivars to ‎kaolin foliar application in warm conditions

In order to investigate the effects of kaolin foliar application on pomological and yield characteristics of some olive cultivars in Kermanshah province, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The first factor was olive cultivars at six levels (Amphisis, Seville, Roughani, Manzanillo, Konservolia and Zard) and the second factor was kaolin at three levels (zero as control (foliar application with water) and 2 and 4%). Two stages of complete foliar application of olive trees with kaolin, in mid-July and August (due to warm and dry weather during this period and accumulation oil in olive at the same time) was carried out. Recording of reproductive traits including fruit and oil yield, fruit weight, fruit dimensions, fresh and dry weight of pulp, percentage of dry matter and moisture content of fruit, fresh and dry weight of pit, pit dimensions and percentage of oil in wet and dry matter was recorded in different treatments. The results showed that the response of the studied olive cultivars to foliar application of different levels of kaolin was different. The highest fruit yield per hectare and fruit weight were obtained in Konservolia cultivar and 4% kaolin foliar application and the lowest yield and fruit weight were observed in Roughani cultivar. In all studied cultivars, kaolin foliar application increased fruit weight and yield per hectare. Therefore, by using kaolin foliar application in two stages of fruit growth, it is possible to improve the pomological and yield characteristics of different olive cultivars in warm and semi-warm regions of the country.