This is about fostering the uptake of innovation in irrigated agriculture: a) integrated agricultural water management under drought, b) efficient water reuse in irrigation, c) energy saving in irrigation, and more.

1. Reuse for a Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient
Europe: the WIRE AG
A. Batillani
Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe

2. ISRAEL
AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
Presented in 42
workshops/seminars/events
19 events branded WIRE
Involved as Stakeholder in 28 new
EU project proposals
Indicated as link with EIP water in
22 EU project proposals
Grouping 52 Demosites
(last update December 2015)

3. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
MISSION and PRIORITIES
FOSTERING UPTAKE OF
INNOVATION IN IRRIGATED
AGRICULTURE
ACTION LINES:
- integrated agricultural water management under drought
- efficient water reuse in irrigation
- energy saving in irrigation
- contact group (knowledge exchange, co-creation)
- expert group (market facilitators)

4. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
TAILORED TECHNICAL
INNOVATION
INTERRA-Technology and process innovations for
irrigation reuse of treated municipal and agro-industrial
wastewaters in order to achieve sustainable water
resources management
AQUEMFREE - In-Farm remediation by solar
photocatalysis of agro-waste water with pesticides
from remnants, cleaning and rinse
ReQpro – A model to reclaim and reuse wastewater for
quality crop production

5. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
RichWater - First application and market
introduction of combined wastewater treatment
and reuse technology for agricultural purposes
Carbon
source
Removing Nitrogen in
constructed wetland
Removing P with a
phosphor filter
Combined Treatment for N and P
removal in Flandres
TAILORED TECHNICAL
INNOVATION

6. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
NATURAL TREATMENT
W4Cs - Natural treatment systems for wastewater reuse in irrigation

7. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
ACQUIFER RECHARGE
KLIMZUG - Groundwater Recharge with cleaned
wastewater
MAR4FARM - Managed Acquifer Recharge Dissemination
activities in Arenales aquifer

8. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
TARGETED MANAGEMENT
IRIS – Intelligent Reclaimed Irrigation System -
Eurostar Project
EARSAC pilot - Dissemination activities in
Majorca island
OLIVE-WASTEWATER - Wastewater
Reuse for Olive Irrigation

9. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
TARGETED MANAGEMENT
Reclaimed Water Use at Farm and Irrigation District in
Miraflores (Spain)
Fiordelisi demo-site for agro-industrial
wastewater reclamation for reuse in irrigation
Castellana Grotte demo-site for municipal
wastewater treatment for reuse in irrigation

10. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
ON SHELF INNOVATION:
PROJECT and DEMO SITES

11. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
IRRIGATED
AGRICULTURE EXPERT
GROUP
STANDALONE
IRR.AGR.
DIAGNOSIS
Mapping of the deficiencies and
barriers hampering innovation in EU
irrigated agriculture
Diagnosis of barriers and
bottlenecks

12. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
Innovation barriers for
water reuse in irrigation
Suboptimal use of alternative water resources
 Economically often not (yet) competitive
 Treated waste water does not comply with end users’ needs (e.g.
nutrient content, inorganic and microbiological contaminants)
 Need for improved water storage and purification / treatment to
align quantity (quality) of alternative water supply with plant needs
 Individual responsibility of farmers for risks (sanitary, financial)
 Need to adapt irrigation technology (e.g. water filtering systems) to
water reuse to avoid high maintenance cost and shortened irrigation
system lifespan.

13. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
Negative perception / lack of acceptance of water reuse
 From Consumers point of view undifferentiated fears concerning
health risks and lack of awareness about possible crop contact with
the reused irrigation water
 Consumer rarely reward water reuse under of sustainability point of
view
 From farmers point of view great dependency on water supplier and
fear of contaminants when using reclaimed water (food safety /
farmers’ health/ soil contamination), but also fear of salinization of
soils
 Unsecure market access for crops produced when applying water
reuse
Innovation barriers for
water reuse in irrigation

14. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
Lack of knowledge on how to manage irrigation using alternative water
 Need to set realistic targets for water reuse with sufficient
flexibility
 Need of improved knowledge transfer, training for adequate
management and specific skills required when irrigating with
alternative water resources
 Site specific management (crops, soils, climates) and real time
assessment of water quality
 Technical difficulties in waste water treatment (adequate low-cost
purification technology), storage (lack of land), and distribution
infrastructures
Innovation barriers for
water reuse in irrigation

15. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
Innovation barriers for
water reuse in irrigation
Lack of financial incentives
 High treatment and installation cost
 Low return on investments (lifespan of investments in irrigation
infrastructure)
 Lack of support schemes for water reuse similar to those for
renewable energies to cover additional water costs

16. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe
Innovation barriers for
water reuse in irrigation
Lack of legislation facilitating water reuse for irrigation
 Lack of coherent regulation across the EU and for 3rd country
imports for crops produced with reclaimed water
 No commonly agreed rules and safety measures / need for a
common approach across EU when applying water reuse
 For some countries too demanding, strict requirements in national
legislation, lacking flexibility regarding crops and uses
 Need to ensure public health while taking into account various uses
and users

17. AG112 - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe