Projects / Programmes
Sustainable use of water to streanghten plant production potential in Slovenia
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.03.03 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
Water, rural space, environment |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B410 |
Biomedical sciences |
Soil science, agricultural hydrology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.01 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
irrigation, development of large irrigation schemes, vegetable farming, market supply, suitable grow
Researchers (11)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Only 1.45% of Slovenian agricultural land in use is irrigated though natural conditions for irrigation are relatively good. Existing irrigation systems are being used below their potentials, and very little interest exists in developing new large irrigation schemes (LIS). Problems related with developing new LIS are related to the fact that its implementation requires coordinated collaboration of ministries and agencies, local administration units, local communities and potential future users of LIS. Irrigation is unorganised leading farmers to irrigate according to their feeling as opposed to the actual needs of the plant. Coupled with relatively low price of water this sets no real incentive to use water efficiently. Technical data on amounts of water used for irrigation is inexistent. The described state is related to inexistent decision support system for irrigation scheduling and to the unsatisfactory level of knowledge regarding good irrigation practices. Self-sufficiency with vegetables is below 40% and is the lowest. Intensive production of vegetables is practically impossible without irrigation, while economic effect of irrigation in vegetable production is the highest. Ensuring higher national food self-sufficiency, taking into account climate change scenarios, requires increase in level of irrigation. It is necessary to increase the share of vegetables in the in existing rotations. It is necessary to explore other technical and technological possibilities for efficient water use in agriculture.
The analysis of the Policy 125-2, set to help implement LIS, will result in the visual representation of time and distinct phases of the policy. Important part of the project represents formation of the key-stakeholder list and their expected roles in implementing LIS. The developed map, showing areas of suitability regarding vegetable farming, from most to least suitable, will provide spatial information where participation with key-stakeholders will be most needed in the future. A model of continuous guided participation will be developed using comparative analysis. Use efficiency level of existing LIS will be systematically assessed in respect to water consumption (including losses), energy consumption and level of the average occupancy of LIS. Prior to development of the decision support system to support wise irrigation end efficient use of LIS the feasibility study will be carried out in relation to quality of data to develop DSS metadata and in relation to open source data representation systems. The results of the project will, due to its complexity, provide guidance for troubleshooting the issues regarding irrigation in relation to natural potentials and socio-economic situation. The project will provide the basis for assuring higher productive potential of agriculture and potentially increase self-sufficiency with vegetables in Slovenia whilst taking into account sustainable use of water resources.
Significance for science
Irrigation is a procedure of adding water using irrigation equipment. In agricultural plant production this can prevent damage cause by drought. In Slovenia the latter normally occurs every fourth year, and usually coincides with the hydrological drought. Additionally irrigation can improve both yield quality and quantity. The give social climate irrigation has the potential to enable stable local market vegetable supply, but should be used so that it also enable sustainable and efficient use of water. Teh latter two are important with respect to good water body status. Irrigation systems need to be implemented so that they could be used. With respect to implementing large irrigation systems in Slovenia, though Rural development programme 2007-2013, the agricultural policy is inefficient. The dissertation hypothesis, related to unavailability of water for irrigation in plant production, was that building consensus for using water in plant production at the administrative level has an important impact on reaching consensus about water use, and that this helps solve or disables conflicts in water use and enables development of specific guidelines for river basing management plans for reaching good water boy status. To fulfil the hypothesis we underwent a research to define water availability factors for irrigation in Slovenia, at the government level and the level of catchments and municipalities. This included the research of intersectoral negotiations at the government level, research of informing the water management policy at the catchment level, and the opinion research about the factors influencing water availability for irrigation at the municipality level. We translated the irrigation water availability factors into effects of the improved large irrigation systems development polity. This includes the instruments of detailed river basin management plans, informing key stakeholders about the spatio-quantitative irrigation development potentials, the permits and consents acquisition, so as foresees the approach to irrigation development that defines an active role of the irrigation policy implementatior and its collaboration with the key stakeholder of irrigation development on governmental, regional and local level.
Significance for the country
Target Research Programme (CRP) entitled Sustainable use of water to enhance plant production potential in Slovenia (Q4-1131) is an upgrade of CRP Evaluation of water perspectives in Slovenia and possibilities of water use in agricultural production (Q4-0487) (completed in 2010) and CRP Projection of water for irrigation in Slovenia (Q4-1066) (completed in 2012). The overall purpose of these projects is to encourage sustainable agricultural production in watersaving way. Irrigation was in Slovenia until recently imputable to the complementary measures to prevent drought in agriculture and achieve continuous quality and yield in crop production. With increasing aspirations to supply the local market supply of vegetables, irrigation, intermediate between the basic technical measure. CAP encourages efficient use of water financially, through the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013 125 and 121 In the area of implementation of the measure 125 (investments in large irrigation systems) are faced with an implementation deficit. Needed adjustments to policy development to make it largely contributed to raising the competitiveness of agricultural holdings. By exploring the possibilities of enhanced cooperation between the various organizations involved in the deployment of large irrigation systems, the study contributed to the creation of direct starting points for further development of large irrigation systems. Map potentially the most suitable areas for growing vegetables gives guidance on which areas of Slovenia is working with key stakeholders in the coming years need to be strengthened. In identifying the areas most suitable for the cultivation of vegetables is also taken into account the availability of water for irrigation. By examining the rate of use of existing VNS were prepared guidelines for the preparation of measures for modernization of existing large-scale irrigation systems and improved their use. The starting point for rationalizing the use of water in agricultural production, agricultural sector is a step forward and will be informed directly involve the implementation of the measures prescribed by the Water Management Plan (WMP) for the Danube Basin and the Adriatic Sea (NUV, 2011), which went into force the adoption of the Regulation on the water management plan for the river basin Danube and Adriatic Sea (Official Gazette of RS, no. 61/2011). Results are also helpful in developing the second generation of WMP. The preparation of basic principles for decision-making support system on irrigation (SPO) are prepared guidelines for the design of database metadata as a key element of STIs. The project results provide guidelines for solving the problem of irrigation in the area of natural resources and socio-economic conditions. The results will form the basis for enhancing agricultural production potential and to increase the domestic supply of vegetables in Slovenia, while the sustainable use of natural resources
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
