Line of action:

Terrestrial ecosystems

Status:

En ejecución

Execution date:

August 2025

End date:

August 2028

Total budget:

€1,999,413.80

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

€1,799,472.42 (90%)

The project aims to demonstrate and evaluate a scalable strategy for improving fertigation practices and renaturation of non-productive matrix of strawberry, red fruit, citrus and olive grove farms to reduce pressure on water resources and improve biodiversity in the Doñana area of influence.

Among its specific objectives are:

• Improvement of water and nitrogen use efficiency, soil quality and biodiversity at farm scale using eco-sustainable fertigation treatments and renaturation of the farm matrix in strawberries and berries, as well as in woody crops (olive groves and citrus fruits).
• Determination of general and specific strategies for socio-economic diversification, eco-sustainability of agricultural activity and its environmental integration.

• Selection of representative strawberry and red fruit plots in the Doñana area of influence. Surveys to characterize irrigation and nitrogen fertilization habits.
• Analysis of the water and nutrient cycle throughout the farm’s activity to design comprehensive strategies for optimizing water and nutrient use.
• Analysis of the matrix of the participating farms to incorporate plant elements aimed at their renaturation in strawberry and red fruit crop farms.
• Implementation and monitoring of plant barriers, shelters, aquatic elements and other plant elements of native species in the matrix of non-cultivated spaces of strawberry and red fruit crop farms.
• Programming of eco-sustainable fertigation in strawberries and red fruits. Installation of control stations for continuous monitoring of the water, saline and nutritional status of the soil, with sensors to measure the soil moisture content, drainage and nutrients.
• Analysis of the effect of management and renaturation strategies on the reduction of emissions, the improvement of soil quality and carbon sequestration in strawberry and soft fruit farms.
• Implementation of demonstration fields of sustainable fertigation and evaluation of their effect on yields and fruit quality.
• Evaluation of the improvement of biodiversity in strawberry and soft fruit farms. Influence of agricultural management and renaturation.
• Study on the economic profitability of the different management strategies in strawberry and red fruit crops. Social, environmental and landscape assessment of externalities.
• Selection of representative olive and citrus grove farms in the Doñana area of influence.
• Analysis and monitoring of the water and nutrient cycle in olive and citrus groves to design comprehensive strategies for optimizing water and nutrient use. Programming of eco-sustainable fertigation in olive groves and citrus fruits.
• Analysis of the matrix of the participating olive grove and citrus farms to incorporate plant elements aimed at their renaturation.
• Implementation and monitoring of plant barriers, refuges, aquatic elements and other plant elements of native species in the matrix of non-cultivated spaces of the same in olive and citrus grove farms.
• Analysis of the effect of management and renaturation strategies on the reduction of emissions, the improvement of soil quality and carbon sequestration in olive and citrus farms.
• Implementation of demonstration fields for sustainable fertigation and evaluation of crop production and quality.
• Evaluation of the improvement of biodiversity in olive and citrus farms. Influence of agricultural management and renaturation.
• Study on the economic profitability of the different management strategies in olive and citrus crops. Social, environmental and landscape assessment of externalities.
• Cooperation plan with other projects in action in the Doñana area.
• Design of Good Practice Guides for eco-sustainable fertigation in stressed aquifers and areas vulnerable to diffuse pollution by nitrates of agricultural origin. Production of informative videos.
• Design of Good Management Practice Guides and other informative materials for the sustainable renaturation of agricultural holdings in areas of high ecological value.
• Analysis of scenarios of modification of the pressure on the water resources of the crops studied based on the strategies identified in the face of different climate change scenarios.
• Development of pilot experiences in agrotourism based on the cultural and natural value in the area around Doñana.
• Digitalization for monitoring, dissemination and dissemination.
• Plan for the dissemination and communication of results to the productive sector. Transfer and dissemination days.