Water · Olive, almond, fruit trees and alfalfa
Waterlogging: where the roots drown
Where water stays, the root runs out of air and soil fungi move in. We fly and mark the zones with less vigour or dead trees, so you can review drainage and irrigation.
We have not flown this problem ourselves yet. We work it out with you, on your field.
The problem
Without air, the root dies
When the soil is full of water, the fine root runs out of oxygen and dies. Often Phytophthora then moves in: a soil fungus that needs saturated soil. In young olive it causes sudden death: the whole canopy wilts, the tree dies in a short time and the fine roots are stripped.
It happens in low zones and in heavy soils that drain badly, and gets worse with long rains or too much irrigation. In almond, a saturated soil favours infection.
How it works
A flight after the rains
1
We fly
After a period of heavy rain or irrigation, when the affected zones lose vigour.
2
We send you the map
Zones with less vigour, bare patches or dead trees. A standard camera cannot see the water below the soil: it marks where to go and look.
3
You check the root
A healthy root is white; if it is brown or smells, there is damage. Then drainage, ridges or an irrigation adjustment in that zone.
The zones that waterlog are the same every year. It is worth knowing them before planting or replacing trees.
Where it shows up
Where it appears
- Olive
- Almond
- Alfalfa
- Peach
In almond, rootstocks of plum origin tolerate excess water better than peach-almond hybrids; none is immune.
What farmers ask us
Waterlogging: field questions
How do I tell it from verticillium wilt in olive?
Waterlogging with Phytophthora dries the whole canopy and does not produce suckers; verticillium wilt tends to dry individual branches and does produce them. It is a clue, not proof: both can happen at once. You confirm with a laboratory test.
Why plant on a ridge?
So that the upper part, where the tree sits, is better aerated and does not waterlog. It is not advised in rainfed orchards.
Does alfalfa (lucerne) tolerate flooding?
Not for long: prolonged flooding favours root rot.
Know someone this would help?
Send them this page. If they have waterlogging in their fields, you save them some searching.