MEDWATERICE - Towards a sustainable water use in Mediterranean rice-based agro-ecosystems

In the Mediterranean basin, rice is cultivated over an area of 1,300,000 hectares. The most important rice-producing countries are Italy and Spain in Europe (72% of the EU production; 345,000 ha), and Egypt and Turkey among the extra-EU countries (almost totality of the production; 789,000 ha). Traditionally, rice is grown under continuous flooding; thus, it requires more water than non-ponded crops. On the other hand, rice is strategic for food security in some countries such as Egypt, and human consumption in the whole Mediterranean is steadily increasing.

Case studies (CSs) are implemented in pilot farms of the countries involved in the project. Tested alternative irrigation methods and technologies adopted in each CS are being tailored to local conditions using a participatory action research approach through the establishment of Stake-Holder Panels in each country, which include regional authorities, water managers, farmers’ associations and consultants, and private companies of the rice production chain. Irrigation strategies experimented in the pilot farms and compared to the continuous flooding (considered as the ‘reference’ irrigation method in all CSs), are: dry seeding and delayed flooding, alternate wetting and drying, lengthening of drying periods, reduction in irrigation inflow/outflow, hybrid irrigation, multi-nozzle sprinkler irrigation, surface and sub-surface drip irrigation, and waste-water reuse through sub-surface drip irrigation. For each irrigation solution, innovative technologies and the most appropriate rice varieties and agronomic practices are tested to minimize impacts of irrigation water reduction on yield quantity and quality. Data collected at the farm level are extrapolated to the irrigation district level to support water management decisions and policies. Indicators for quantitative assessment of environmental, economic and social sustainability of the irrigation options are also being defined.

Outcomes generated by MEDWATERICE are aimed at injecting tailored and updated knowledge to improve the sustainability of rice production in the countries of the Mediterranean area, with particular attention to the adoption of water-saving techniques. The MEDWATERICE consortium believes that the main barriers/obstacles to the achievement of the expected impacts are the economic sustainability of the proposed innovations and their social acceptance. For this reason, the project will: carry out an overall sustainability assessment of the irrigation solutions (including the economic dimension); be developed in close cooperation with the SHPs in all the project’s phases, to improve the communication among all the actors involved and the transfer of project’s results to the agricultural sector and decision makers; include the preparation and dissemination of technical best practice documents to support the effective implementation of irrigation solutions.