Water Stress Management in Field Crops and Bio-Solutions

One key factor in developing field crop sectors is access to water. However, climate change—particularly the droughts and heat waves of recent years—means that unlimited access to water is not always guaranteed. Consequently, questions arise regarding how to produce crops under water stress, especially since the number of farms using irrigation is declining.
  

Furthermore, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, irrigation practices are evolving with varying water volumes and timing that need to be refined. Farmers are seeking guidelines to optimize water application. Beyond strict irrigation management (rate and timing), there are questions regarding techniques to limit periods of water stress, particularly for farmers with no access to water at all. 

Various approaches are possible, including biosolutions that can help mitigate water stress.
  

The project aims to address the following question: How can cropping systems be adapted to become more resilient to climate change? To this end, three key areas have been identified:
• Adapting cropping systems to water stress (crop rotation and cropping sequences)
• Managing crops according to different water regime
levels• Using biosolutions to limit the impact of water stress
 

• Adapting cropping systems to water stress (crop rotation and cropping sequences), including the establishment of farmer focus groups and field demonstrations of crop rotation adjustments better suited to water
stress• Managing crops according to different water regimes by testing the impact of various water regimes on different crops. The objective is to develop best practices that can be shared and adopted by farmers so they can integrate them into their operations to ensure production under water-constrained conditions.
•    Use of biosolutions to limit the impact of water stress by testing their effects through micro-plot and strip trials under different crops.
• Dissemination, promotion of results, and project management: various materials will be produced to synthesize and disseminate the results obtained, such as a summary of results, brochures, posters, videos, and articles.