Effects of Topography, Soil Texture and Climatic Factors on the Growth Rate of Olive Trees (Olea europaea L.) in Albaha Region, South-Western Saudi Arabia

A field study was conducted to study the effects of topography, soil texture and climatic factors on the growth rate of olive trees (Olea europaea L.) in Albaha region, south-western Saudi Arabia. Results indicated that there was no variation observed in soil texture among the studied locations. The maximum amount of rain fall and relative humidity recorded in the study areas was– 28.7 mm and 59%, respectively. Temperature was ranged from 16 – 29.6°C while surface wind speed reached a maximum value of 47 Kts. At the studied locations which had steeper topography and characterized by scattered small, huge and steep Rocky Mountains the elevation was in the range of 1245 – 2052 m while the slope was ranged from 00 to 75. Most of the healthy very green vigorous trees were found in the bed of the Wadi while the stunted ones were scattered on the mountain edges. This indicated that the altitude and slope have remarkable effects on the growth rate of the olive trees.