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Coupling effect of water and nitrogen on olive (Olea europaea L.) using NSGA-Ⅱ algorithm in hilly areas of Southwest China
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 8 April 2026
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Water scarcity and improper nitrogen management are major constraints affecting the sustainability of olive cultivation in the hilly regions of Southwest China. This study investigated the effects of different levels of supplemental irrigation and nitrogen application on olive yield, oil quality, and water–nitrogen use efficiency. A two-year field experiment (2020-2021) was conducted in Jintang County (Sichuan, China) using a randomized complete block design with three irrigation levels (W1: 60% FC, W2: 75% FC, W3: 90% FC) and three nitrogen rates (2020: 180, 360, and 540 kg ha–1; 2021: 150, 300, and 450 kg ha–1). A multi-objective optimization model was developed integrating yield, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPFP), and olive oil quality indicators. The NSGA-II algorithm was applied to identify Pareto-optimal solutions. Results showed that nitrogen application significantly increased olive yield under all irrigation conditions, with yield following the trend N1 < N2 < N3. Palmitic acid content initially increased and then decreased with increasing nitrogen rates, whereas oleic acid showed an opposite trend. IWUE increased with nitrogen application, while NPFP decreased. Comprehensive quality evaluation using the VIKOR method indicated that excessive nitrogen reduced oil quality under higher irrigation levels. The optimal treatment identified by the NSGA-II model was W2N2, corresponding to moderate irrigation and nitrogen input. Under these conditions, the predicted yield reached 12,045 kg ha–1, with a quality index (Qi) of 0.209, IWUE of 39.89 kg m–3, and NPFP of 47.48 kg kg–1. These findings demonstrate that balanced water–nitrogen management can simultaneously improve yield, oil quality, and resource use efficiency. The study provides a theoretical and practical basis for optimizing irrigation and fertilization strategies in olive orchards in mountainous regions of Southwest China.
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CRediT authorship contribution
Zhiliang Zhang, Yingjun She, conceptualization; Xiaopei Tang, Huanping Liu, methodology; Huanping Liu, software; Xiaopei Tang, validation; Yingjun She, formal analysis; Wenjun Yu, Xi Chen, investigation; Min Yan, Xiaohu Yuan, resources; Yingjun She, Caixia Zheng, data curation; Huanping Liu, writing—original draft preparation; Zakaria Issaka, writing—review and editing; Caixia Zheng, Xiaopei Tang, supervision; Zhiliang Zhang, Caixia Zheng, project administration, funding acquisition. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Data Availability Statement
The data supporting the reported results are available upon request from the corresponding author.
How to Cite
“Coupling effect of water and nitrogen on olive (Olea europaea L.) using NSGA-Ⅱ algorithm in hilly areas of Southwest China” (2026) Journal of Agricultural Engineering [Preprint]. doi:10.4081/jae.2026.1803.
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