Water4ever

 

 

Optimizing water use in agriculture to preserve soil and water resources

01/04/2017 – 30/03/2020

This project aims to innovate in all its components: on the measurement techniques, on modelling techniques, and through the generation of new knowledge to optimise RDI without by minimising agriculture pollution. The project will also generate tools to improve the link between the plot and by minimising agriculture pollution. The project will also generate tools to improve the link between the plot and the catchment scales, contributing to build the bridge between the individual farmer and water agencies.

The Water4ever project goals are:
(a) To develop an automatic irrigation and fertilization Decision Support System based on online data and on forecast models and test it in 3 case studies: Portugal, Spain and Italy;
(b) To develop catchment models to nest plot scale models in order to quantify the effect of agriculture practices on water availability and quality;
(c) To develop new monitoring strategies at the plot scale combining new optical sensors installed on fixed and mobile ground platforms for continuous monitoring of crop development and compare results with data acquired by drones and from satellite images;
(d) To set up a water and nutrient monitoring strategy able to compute water budgets (including sapflow) and nutrient budgets and their effect on crop development and soil preservation;
(e) To improve soil process oriented models at the plot scale for the dynamics of soil organic matter and for its implication on nutrient budgets and crop development and for erosion;
(f) Plot scale models will be nested into a catchment model to build a bidirectional link between plot and catchment scales;
(g) To disseminate and transfer knowledge and technology generated at regional, national and European level by means of public information adapted to different stakeholders.

Contact:  Filipe Santos

 

Water4ever Consortium 

Keywords: Precision Agriculture.