General

Water shortages are due to ever-increasing demands by other sectors of society and periodic droughts affecting areas of the world. The paradigm in irrigation management has shifted from full to partial coverage of crop water requirements and the application of deficit irrigation (DI).

Recent researches have focused on using the potential of Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) as a way of reducing irrigation water application to fruit trees and vine crops.

How best to apply RDI to thses different crops is the focus of current ongoing research, but its potential has already been demonstrated at commercial orchard schale under very specidfic conditions on peaches, almonds, plums and wine grapes. The main problem remains in the lack of knowledge by the possible users.

The Global Irrigation Management Programme for Saving Water and Improving Productivity in Spanish Horticulture (RIDECO) aims to develop the full potential of RDI in order to save irrigation water and increase the water eficiency of Spain's horticultural and fruit sector.