What time of day suits olive spraying best?

Conditions are usually best in the early morning and late afternoon: wind between 3 and 19 km/h, temperature below 30 °C and a Delta T between 2 and 8. In the middle of a Tunisian summer afternoon the spray evaporates before it reaches the leaf. The hourly window on this page marks those slots over 48 hours.

Does the sirocco threaten olive flowering?

Yes. A hot, dry southerly wind during the April-May flowering dries the stigma within hours and cuts fruit set. The risk is flagged here as soon as the temperature passes 34 °C with humidity below 35 % and a southerly wind.

When is the olive fly most active?

Between 20 and 30 °C with high humidity, so mostly in September and October in the Sahel. Above 35 °C eggs and young larvae die, which explains the July-August lull. The indicator on this page tracks that thermal window day by day.

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Olive farming weather in Tunisia

Current stage : Harvest

Updated Friday 13 November at 19:23

Production area

Sousse · Monastir · Mahdia

48-hour application window

Hours when wind, temperature, humidity and incoming rain all line up.

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Conditions are currently favourable for an application.

Wind 9 km/h · Temperature 21 °C · Delta T 2.5

Next favourable slot: 19:00 to 20:00 (2 h)

FavourableAcceptableUnfavourable

Gap between dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperature. Useful range: 2 to 8.

Risks over 7 days

🪰
Olive flyHigh
Temperatures favourable to flight and egg-laying (27.2 °C) on Fri 13 Nov

Water requirement over 7 days

Evapotranspiration adjusted to the crop, compared with forecast rain.

10.7 mm

Deficit to cover

107 m³ per hectare

Reference evapotranspiration: 16.5 mm
Crop requirement: 10.7 mm
Forecast rain: 0 mm

Calculation: reference evapotranspiration multiplied by the crop coefficient 0.65, minus rain. Soil reserve and network efficiency are not taken into account.

Air water stress (VPD)

1.2 kPapeak around 13:00

Normal range: the plant transpires without stress.

Vapour pressure deficit over the next 24 hours. A state of the air, not irrigation advice.

Days without rain

7 days without significant rain

Soil at 6 cm

22 °C

Soil temperature drives germination and root activity. Below 8 °C, cereal emergence slows sharply.

7-day farming forecast

Day	Min / Max	Rain	ET0	Max wind	Humidity
Fri 13 Nov	20° / 27°	-	2.6 mm	13 km/h	40-89 %
Sat 14 Nov	19° / 24°	-	2.4 mm	11 km/h	58-93 %
Sun 15 Nov	17° / 23°	-	1.9 mm	7 km/h	69-95 %
Mon 16 Nov	16° / 24°	-	1.7 mm	10 km/h	50-100 %
Tue 17 Nov	16° / 25°	-	2.4 mm	12 km/h	59-95 %
Wed 18 Nov	17° / 29°	-	3 mm	11 km/h	30-82 %
Thu 19 Nov	14° / 29°	-	2.5 mm	6 km/h	29-89 %

Detailed weather for Sahel olive beltHourly and 7-day forecasts from the reference station→

Olive harvest: 7-day conditions

Indicative: a day suits picking with no significant rain (under 2 mm) and no strong gusts (under 45 km/h). The decision remains yours.

Sahel olive belt

Fri 13 NovSuitable
Sat 14 NovSuitable
Sun 15 NovSuitable
Mon 16 NovSuitable
Tue 17 NovSuitable
Wed 18 NovSuitable
Thu 19 NovSuitable

Sfax olive groves

Fri 13 NovSuitable
Sat 14 NovSuitable
Sun 15 NovSuitable
Mon 16 NovSuitable
Tue 17 NovSuitable
Wed 18 NovSuitable
Thu 19 NovSuitable

Irrigated Centre

Fri 13 NovSuitable
Sat 14 NovSuitable
Sun 15 NovSuitable
Mon 16 NovSuitable
Tue 17 NovSuitable
Wed 18 NovSuitable
Thu 19 NovSuitable

North-West cereal belt

Fri 13 NovWind
Sat 14 NovSuitable
Sun 15 NovSuitable
Mon 16 NovSuitable
Tue 17 NovSuitable
Wed 18 NovSuitable
Thu 19 NovSuitable

Crop calendar

Winter dormancy
Bud break
Flowering and fruit set
Fruit growth
Veraison
HarvestCurrent stage

Olive farming weather in Tunisia

Olive groves cover close to a third of Tunisia's cultivated land and support more than 300,000 holdings, mainly in the Sahel and the Centre. Their management hinges on three weather moments: flowering in April and May, when two days of sirocco can wipe out fruit set; summer, when supplementary irrigation decides fruit size; and autumn, when the olive fly resumes activity as soon as the heat breaks. This page brings those three readings together for the Sahel, the Centre and the North-West.

Frequently asked questions

What time of day suits olive spraying best?: Conditions are usually best in the early morning and late afternoon: wind between 3 and 19 km/h, temperature below 30 °C and a Delta T between 2 and 8. In the middle of a Tunisian summer afternoon the spray evaporates before it reaches the leaf. The hourly window on this page marks those slots over 48 hours.
Does the sirocco threaten olive flowering?: Yes. A hot, dry southerly wind during the April-May flowering dries the stigma within hours and cuts fruit set. The risk is flagged here as soon as the temperature passes 34 °C with humidity below 35 % and a southerly wind.
When is the olive fly most active?: Between 20 and 30 °C with high humidity, so mostly in September and October in the Sahel. Above 35 °C eggs and young larvae die, which explains the July-August lull. The indicator on this page tracks that thermal window day by day.

Areas covered

Sahel olive belt Sfax olive groves Irrigated Centre North-West cereal belt

Crops covered

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Indicators computed from Open-Meteo forecasts. They help pick a moment to intervene; they replace neither an official agricultural advisory nor a technician's judgement.