Forty best practices to deal with conditions of drought and water scarcity were selected to represent the vast array of opportunities available for European farmers and landowners. The measures aim to directly or indirectly make better use of water in agriculture, considering both the most advanced technological innovations of precision agriculture and the traditional knowledge. European farms are highly heterogeneous in terms of climate, socioeconomic features, institutional support, cropping patterns and farm dimensions. Given the heterogeneity of European agriculture and the complexity of the problem, silver bullet solutions do not exist and numerous best practices fit for the different needs of the European farmers are presented. The case studies are spread within the six countries partner of the AGRIWATER project (Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and Spain), and they are categorized as technological, technical, agronomic, and economic measures. Key elements common to the best practices are effectiveness, sustainability, technical feasibility, and replicability.
Micro irrigation on rice with dripping wings every 80 cm and emitters with every 30 cm for having uniform water application.Use of soil moisture probes as decision support. 15 ha equipped. Six
Agricultural insurance is a risk coverage resource available in the Spanish agricultural sector. The insurance has a public component, with Agroseguro being the managing institution at the national level. The insurance has
Since 2009, when the farm entered organic production, they have tried to improve the soil, increase water use efficiency and enhance nutrition. Thus, they applied green manure, incorporated pruning waste and plant
A dairy farm in which the productive breed was changed from the milk-producing Holstein to the Alpine Bruna breed, as a dual use for milk and meat. The aim of this measure
Change from rainfed to in-ground irrigation strips with integrated drippers. Drippers are spaced 1.3 m apart and buried 20 cm deep, with flow rates of 1.6 liters/hour. The pipes are 16 mm
In the conversion of the farm from herbaceous crops to almond trees, Sireco was responsible for the installation of an automatic irrigation system, managing through the same head two sources of water,
The implementation of a remote-control system with sensors managed by a Data Logger connected to a web platform (DSS). The station has 3 sensors connected at different soil depth levels (10, 30
On the grassy slope, shallow ditches with dimensions of 10 m in width and 100 m in length were dug with a single-row plough in the direction of the contour lines at
The farmer applies innovative agronomic practices and soil conservation technologies, such as strip sowing directly into the stubble using the subsoiling or the no tillage technology, which is based on the maximum
A weir is a small construction in a ditch or stream that enables the landowner to regulate the water level and to allow the water to infiltrate in the soil.
Controlled drainage is the practice of using a water control structure to raise the depth of the drainage outlet, holding water in the field during periods when drainage is not needed. Unlike
The purified wastewater from the Ardo factory in Ardooie is stored in a 150.000 m³ litres large basin. Then, a 23 km long irrigation network distributes the water towards the surrounding fields.
Soil coverage refers to vegetation, including crops and crop residues on the surface of the soil. Maintaining the cover of the soil as long as possible during the year, soil erosion is
No tillage is an agricultural technique with which the soil is not disturbed through tillage. In organic farming, it is used in combination with planting cover crops and mulching.
Cultivation of soil with special machinery (ripper) to relax the soil so that the roots of potatoes grow deeper and can access more water.
Hydroponics consists in the use of plastic channels filled with coconut coir, in which the crops are grown with proper irrigation and fertilization.
Crop rotation in a 3-year cycle. In the 1st year, cereals are seeded in the selected field. In the 2nd year, vetch is seeded and after blooming, incorporated in the soil. In
The sprouts are grown in special bags without soil. The seeds are soaked in water (8 hours in winter, 5 hours in summer). They are then left to dry in the sun.
Only about 18% of the German hop acreage is irrigated (exclusively drip irrigation). A subsidy program in Germany provided strong support for the installation of irrigation systems in hop-growing farms between 2008
Agroforestry elements relevant to nature conservation can play an important role. In addition to potential timber and fruit production, they provide environmental services in terms of biodiversity and soil and water protection.
Keeping soils covered with vegetation all year round, reducing tillage to a minimum, growing mixed crops instead of pure crops with as few chemical pesticides and mineral fertilizers as possible.
Irrigation is performed with two irrigation drums with sprinklers. Water is distributed via underground pipes with hydrants mounted every 80m, matching the tramline spacing (27m), so that every third tramline can be
This is a sloping piece of land where a pit is made in the upper part of each olive tree to accumulate rainwater so that the plant can use it after it
This farm has combined three sources of water to ensure availability. In 1990, they started using high salinity mine water thanks to a reverse osmosis desalination plant. In 2000 they built a
Organisation, constitution, construction, and start-up of an irrigation community that brings together more than 100 farms and almost 1,500 ha of olive groves. The infrastructures consist of three sections: catchment, reservoir, and
The farmer built 3 cascade-connected pools and a 1.5 ha wetland on his land. Water retention in the agricultural landscape also helps the tree plantations bordering his property – the average size
An old well was restored and deepened; moreovera wind pump was installed in the pasture. The water is pumped into a tank above the ground from which waterer bowls with float valves
All water used in the house is refiltered in the wetland wastewater treatment (reed bed) and then collected into a water reservoir of 13 m3 located below. This reservoir is an eco-biotope
The uniform monocultural landscape was divided into land blocks smaller than 10 hectares. The area is now characterised by a varied mix of farming methods – arable land, undemanding landscape orchards, pear
Between 2017-2018, the piped stream was returned to the surface into a new “close-to-nature” stream bed. Additionally, various pools were excavated on the site and natural ponds with low fish stocking supporting
The main operations to manage the soil vary according to the year and to the season. In October, after the harvest, a deep plough and the seeding of green manure crops are
To apply kaolin in June and July, before hot periods, and zeolite before grape harvest. The kaolin, white coloured, reflects sun rays and keep the leaves colder. Additionally, it absorbs humidity and
The incentives are linked to the use of an irrigation advisory service (Irrinet), together with other measures to improve agriculture sustainability. To get the incentive, the farmer needs to follow the indications
Landraces (old varieties) have good levels of heterogeneity and are potentially better adapted to pedoclimatic conditions compared to modern varieties, which are standardized and selected to perform very well in optimal conditions.
Rainwater harvesting from rooftop of greenhouses, blending of rainwater with groundwater since groundwater is contaminated by Boron. Gravity-led flow.
Storage reservoirs filled with groundwater. Wells are in an alluvial riparian aquifer with around 20 m of maximum depth. The reservoirs are at around 80 m and 150 m over the riverbed
The utilization of tools installed in the field to reduce the use of water. In particular, one meteo station and 5 “Diviner” are used. “Diviner” is a tool which permit, through a
As the farm is close to the North Sea and on a level around 0 to 5m sea level the management of water is critical. Protected by dikes against flooding the water
AGRIWATER project has been funded with the support from the European Commission, with the reference number 2020-1-CZ01-KA204-078212. The content of this website reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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