LIFE-DESEACROP. Desalinated seawater for alternative and sustainable soilless crop production

Abstract

DESEACROP is a project funded by the European Union under the LIFE-16 Sub-Programme for Environment (LIFE16-ENV-ES-000341). The project is coordinated by the Technical University of Cartagena and involves the University of Almería, the company Valoriza-Agua and the irrigation community Campo de Níjar. The project, articulated in preparatory, implementation, monitoring and dissemination actions, aims to demonstrate the sustainable management of desalinated seawater for crop production in closed soilless systems. The final goal is to strengthen resilience of these systems as a key productive, economic, social and environmentally friendly sector in the water-stressed Mediterranean region. Demonstrative experiments will be conducted on tomato crops at the experimental greenhouses of University of Almería. Technological developments and results derived from the experiments will be replicated and transferred to other locations such as Italy, Greece and Egypt. Agronomic, environmental and socioeconomic monitoring will allow evaluating the impacts of the project. The following impacts are expected: • Significant increase of yield by using high quality desalinated water. • Notable reduction of the water used for irrigation as drainages will be treated and partly reused. • Boosting water efficiency and productivity without increasing the carbon footprint. Substantial increase of carbon fixation and subsequent higher yield. DESEACROP supports the following environmental policies: • Soil conservation as DESEACROP promotes soilless agriculture and efficient desalinated seawater management. • Directive 2000/60/EC as the project fosters increasing the water use efficiency and quality. • Groundwater Directive 2006/118/EC as DESEACROP aims at reducing the overexploitation of aquifers. • Common Agricultural Policy by sustaining an agricultural activity and strengthen food security. • Nitrates Directive 91/676/EEC by reducing the underground water pollution by nitrates leaching.