A GIS-based quality assessment model for olive tree irrigation water in southern Spain

The primary aim of this study was to produce maps of various types of risk arising from the use of surface and ground water for irrigation (viz., soil degradation, plant nutritional disorders, clogging of irrigation systems and reservoir problems). The maps were obtained as the additive result of each hydrochemical variable (water properties and indices calculated from them) associated with each risk by using open-source GIS software. The study was conducted in the province of Jaen (southern Spain), which spans a total area of 13,489km2, 5,860 of which is occupied by olive tree crops. Irrigated olive orchards in the province span more than 2,900km2.