Mapping Soil and Leaf Micronutrients Distribution in an Olive (Olea europaea L.) Orchard

Plant nutrition plays an important role in increasing crop yields. Nevertheless, the need for more sustainable agricultural systems, reducing fertilization costs and concerns on environmental pollution have determined a shift towards precision agriculture. The study was aimed to quantify the spatial structure and map soil and leaf micronutrients in an olive (Olea europaea L.) orchard in a southern Italy area. The study was conducted in a 10,000 m2 (100 m x 100 m) olive orchard located in southern Italy (Calabria) where at 100 locations both topsoil (0-0.20 m) and vegetation (leaves) samples were collected. Soil samples were air-dried and sieved at 2 mm. Then both soil and vegetation samples were analyzed in laboratory for the main micronutrients (B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, and Zn) by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). A geostatistical approach was used (I) to quantify the spatial structure of soil and leaf micronutrients, and (II) to map their spatial distribution. Maps of each soil and leaf micronutrient were analyzed by visual comparison which confirmed a relation for almost all analyzed elements.