The fight against soil
degradation
A University of
Bologna coordinated scheme, co-funded by the LIFE program 2014-2020 aims to
provide proper irrigation management to fight against soil degradation
The programme
coordinated by the University of Bologna, co-funded by the LIFE program
2014-2020 aims to create a user friendly system for a proper irrigation
management in agro-ecosystems of Mediterranean wetlands, which are often
threatened by the soil salinization. While the technology is not yet planned to
go into Africa, if the programme is successful, there is no doubt that the rest
of the world, particularly where soil salinization is a major issue, it will be
rolled out further.
The University of
Bologna press office said that "the salts present in the water accumulate
in the upper layers of the soil, undermining the growth of most plants: a
serious problem of soil degradation that can lead, in extreme cases, even to
the desertification.
"To cope this
phenomenon, Agrowetlands II relies on precision agriculture, through an
innovative system of irrigation management that guarantees the preservation of
the quality of soil and water, maintains productivity, as well as the
biodiversity, in accordance with the objectives of the EU Soil Thematic
Strategy, the EU Water Framework Directive and the EU Strategy on Adaptation to
Climate Change.
"To test the new
technology will be some farms of the cooperative Agrisfera, in Ravenna, few
kilometers from the Adriatic coast, between the mouths of the Reno and Lamone:
lands reclaimed during the 60s, where soil salinization, originated from
various concomitant causes, is quite frequent. Using information captured by a
network of wireless sensors monitoring soil moisture and salinity, a Decision
Support System will provide indications for proper and effective management of
irrigation. The same system will be replicated at the Comunidad de Carrizales,
another Mediterranean agricultural area at Elche-Alicante, in southern Spain
with salinized soils."
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