As water scarcity bites, farmers learn how to avoid a drier future.
Farmers must resort to technology to cope with more arid conditions.
Researcher in environmental informatics Stephen Hallet, a contributor to Malta’s soil information system since 2002, spoke on challenges farmers face.
The on-farm initiative is part of a Horizon 2020 project with EU funding to foster water-agriculture research and innovation in Malta (FoWARIM) organised by the Mcast Water Research and Training Centre in collaboration with Cranfield University.
Another year of poor rainfall is likely to be recorded at the end of next month.
The result is more water loss through evaporation in the dry season.
Over-watering can lead to nutrient loss.
“You might get away with what you are doing at the moment, but this lets you farm into a drier future,” Lynda Deeks told farmers during a demonstration on managing crops in a dry climate for improved yield and quality.
Irrigation specialist Jerry Knox spoke on how to match irrigation schedules with loss of water from plant leaves and soil by evaporation.
Stakeholders need a co-ordinated approach from local institutions.