New tools for tackling agriculture’s water scarcity challenge
One of the many consequences of climate change is an increase in extreme droughts. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, droughts can deplete water availability in soils, causing ‘significant declines in crops and livestock productivity’. This decline in productivity, exacerbated by soil degradation, could mean having less food to feed the world’s growing population. To avoid a global food crisis, society must find a way to maintain, even increase, crop yields and food quality using less water – all while not losing or degrading the soil. “Food production must continue to increase at affordable prices, yet we also need to achieve this increase in a sustainable way,” says José Alfonso Gómez, a researcher at the Sustainable Agriculture Institute (IAS). To strike this balance, Gómez, with the support of the SHui project, which was co-funded by the EU and China, is leading an international effort to develop viable strategies for optimising the use of water and soil resources across different agricultural systems. “The project brings together leading scientists from Europe and China,” explains Gómez. “Together, we are delivering a suite of knowledge, technologies and tools that will empower individuals and stakeholders to make informed decisions about managing water scarcity within various cropping systems.”
A toolbox of practical solutions
While publishing 66 scientific papers and a number of policy documents is impressive enough, the project’s flagship outcome is its toolbox of practical solutions. “Each of our tools aims to help the user make the best use of available water for agriculture while also protecting the soil,” notes Gómez. One of those tools is a catalogue of best practices for the optimised use of soil and water in agriculture. “Available in English, Spanish and Chinese, this guide is just as much for the layperson as it is for the farmer or technician,” adds Gómez. “It provides practical, standardised solutions for striking a sustainable balance between soil health and water use.” An Android app version is also available. Another great tool in the SHui suite is AquaCrop, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization designed crop growth model for addressing food security. “AquaCrop simulates how herbaceous crop yield responds to water,” says Gómez. “It is particularly well-suited to addressing conditions where water is a key limiting factor in crop production.” SHui contributed to the app’s development, including creating a public domain code. Additional tools are available for zoning a farm for precision agriculture and for calculating the amount of water needed for wood crops being grown in drought conditions.
Delivering tools, training and international cooperation
The SHui project also organised a range of training opportunities, many of which were held online and remain available via the project’s website. These training courses have proven particularly beneficial to the cohort of young scientists and early-career researchers from both Europe and China who worked with the project as part of their PhD programmes. “Not only did we deliver tools and training, we also delivered in terms of international cooperation,” concludes Gómez. “This project is a case study in the benefits of collaborative research between Europe and China and what we can accomplish when we work across borders.” This cooperation established during the SHui project now continues via the EU/China-funded TUdi project.
Keywords
SHui, food production, agriculture, water scarcity, sustainable, soil, droughts, crops, climate change, soil degradation, food crisis, crop yields, food security, precision agriculture