Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/27.1.4854
Fresh olive pomace as organic soil amendment for olive grove and its effect on olive leaf and fruit mineral composition
Lepomir ČOGA
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Šimun KOLEGA
orcid.org/0000-0002-5801-8428
; University of Zadar, Department, of Ecology, Agronomy and Aquaculture, Trg kneza Višeslava 9, 23000 Zadar, Croatia
*
Magdalena ZORICA
; University of Zadar, Department, of Ecology, Agronomy and Aquaculture, Trg kneza Višeslava 9, 23000 Zadar, Croatia
Sanja SLUNJSKI
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Marko ZORICA
orcid.org/0000-0001-8058-7646
; University of Zadar, Department, of Ecology, Agronomy and Aquaculture, Trg kneza Višeslava 9, 23000 Zadar, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of different doses of fresh olive pomace (FOP) application on soil chemical properties and the mineral composition of olive plant material (leaves and fruits), as well as to assess the impact on heavy metal levels in the soil. The experiment was conducted in an olive orchard at Grabovci (Croatia) during 2022 and 2023, on the domestic cv. Oblica and the introduced Italian cv. Leccino. Four fertilization treatments with pomace doses ranging from 0 to 5 kg/m² were applied. Soil analyses showed that pomace treatment significantly increased humus, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium content in the upper part of the soil, while total nitrogen was significantly elevated only at the highest dose. No increase in heavy metal concentrations in the soil was observed; in some cases, zinc, chromium, lead, and arsenic levels decreased. Fertilization with FOP positively influenced the morphological characteristics of olive fruits, increasing fruit mass, length, and width. The mineral composition of leaves and fruits exhibited optimal or elevated levels of key nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) without toxicity signs. The results confirm that FOP can be an effective organic soil amendment in olive cultivation, contributing to production sustainability and reducing the need for mineral fertilizers.
Keywords
soil analysis; heavy metals; Leccino; Oblica; organic matter; sustainable agriculture
Hrčak ID:
346064
URI
Publication date:
7.4.2026.
Visits: 179 *