FIGARO Project Presentation

FP7 Research Program FIGAROFP7 Research ProgramFP7 Research Program FIGAROFIGARO

Water Saving and Crop Productivity Increase Water Saving and Crop Productivity Increase through Precision Irrigation through Precision Irrigation –– A Cotton Pilot A Cotton Pilot Plant at Magiko Xanthis, N. GreecePlant at Magiko Xanthis, N. Greece

Georgios SYLAIOSAssociate Professor

Department of Environmental EngineeringFaculty of Engineering - Xanthi

Tel: 25410 79398E-mail: gsylaios@env.duth.gr

Flexible and precIse irriGation plAtform to improve faRm

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Basic Definitions

1. Production: the sum of cultivated product per

cultivated field

2. Productivity: The total produced crop per

cultivated field area

3. Water Productivity: the total produced product per

cubic meter of water lost through

evapotranspiration

Is there a need to save irrigation water in N.

Greece?

Is there a need to save irrigation water in N.

Greece?

Annual precipitation evolution for the study area.

Flexible and precIse irriGation plAtform to improve faRm

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PR

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Why we Irrigate?

EV

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SURFACE

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FIGARO Project (Flexible and PrecIse IrriGation

PlAtform to Improve FaRm Scale Water

PrOductivity) is an innovative research program,

funded by FP7 (Seventh Framework Program),

aiming to :

�Improve the efficiency and productivity of

water consumption in agriculture at farm level,

�Develop an economically-viable platform on

precision irrigation.

Flexible and precIse irriGation plAtform to improve faRm

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Precision Irrigation

A new irrigation strategy in which we water the crop

according to the needs of each plant, aiming to

increase the water efficiency and productivity.

In PI we consider:

• the local precipitation forecast at the farm area

• the local evapotranspiration forecast, i.e., the

water losses volume,

• the soil characteristics and properties,

• the plant-growing phase of the cultivated crop.

Flexible and precIse irriGation plAtform to improve faRm

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Precision Irrigation

PI means irrigation:

� at the proper time,

� the proper quantity,

� at the proper place,

� with the most efficient

method.

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The Greek Participation

Greece participates in FIGARO through:

� the Department of Environmental Engineering, DUTH

(technology developer), and

� the Regional Union of Municipalities of East

Macedonia – Thrace (PED-AMD) (stakeholders

interconnection and technology diffuser).

Cotton was selected as a target crop, due to :

�It’s increased water demand,

�It’s wide expansion throughout Greece and in this

area.

According to the Hellenic Cotton Organization for the year 1998

and as presented in Figure 3, 67.3% of cotton cultivated land

was irrigated using sprinkler irrigation, followed by drip irrigation

(21.7%), furrow irrigation (8.4%), while 2.6% was rainfed.

Methods applied in cotton irrigation in Greece for the year 1998.

Cotton Irrigation Strategies in Greece

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Cotton cultivation spatial

distribution for year 2007 (after

Karamanos and Vodoulakis 2011)

•Cotton cultivation covers

13% of the total agricultural

area in Greece.

•With cotton cultivation are

engaged approx. 80,000 –

100,000 rural families.

•Throughout the total stages

of production and processing

about 150,000 people are

employed.

Flexible and precIse irriGation plAtform to improve faRm

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Experimental Farm

An experimental farming site was selected at a farm of 2

ha in Magiko near Xanthi.

XANTHI

Experimental Site9.5 km

The Greek Experimental Site

Experimental Site

6 experimental sub-plots

17 sowing rows each

Sub-plot 6 : Sprinkler irrigation – Farmer’s practice

Sub-plot 5 : Sprinkler irrigation – FIGARO practice

Sub-plot 4 : Sprinkler irrigation – 75% less than FIGARO (Deficit)

Sub-plot 3 : Drip irrigation – Farmer’s practice

Sub-plot 2 : Drip irrigation – FIGARO practice

Sub-plot 1 : Drip irrigation – 75% less than FIGARO (Deficit)

654321

Flexible and precIse irriGation plAtform to improve faRm

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4 Steps to Achieve PI

Step 1:

• Integrated soil analysis to

determine the physical and

chemical properties of soil

horizons.

Flexible and precIse irriGation plAtform to improve faRm

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Step 2: Numerical simulation to predict

the weather locally for the next 48

hours.

4 Steps to Achieve PI

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Step 3:

Based on weather prediction, the

evapotranspiration is computed.

Using on-line soil moisture sensors,

soil moisture is measured and

controlled at real-time at various

locations and depths.

4 Steps to Achieve PI

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On-line Soil Moisture

Sensors

On-site Sensors for Soil

Moisture Profiles

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On-line soil moisture sensors network

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On-line soil moisture sensors netowrk

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On-line soil moisture data

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Measurements on the crop

growth rate through LAI

determination (SunScan).

4 Steps to Achieve PI

Flexible and precIse irriGation plAtform to improve faRm

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4 Steps to Achieve PI

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Crop Production and Water Productivity Prediction

Preliminary Conclusions of the 1st Cropping Period

Our experiment showed that:

� drip irrigation contributes significantly to the raise of

water productivity and its combination with precision

irrigation could further enhance system’s efficiency and

productivity,

� farmer’s empirical irrigation practice produced almost

similar cotton production to FIGARO-PI, using 1000 c.m.

per ha more water,

Considering that:

� in the broader East Macedonia – Thrace there exist

approximately 50,000 ha of irrigated cotton, water

saving of 1,000 c.m. per ha corresponds to the water

saving of 50 million c.m. per cultivation period,

� taking as fact that to irrigate 10 ha of cotton on

average 60,000 c.m. of water is required, then this water

saving corresponds to the water pumped by 850

drillings in the area.

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Thank you for your attention