The GO RIEGO SUBTERRÁNEO promotes the optimization of water use in woody crops in the Bajo Cinca region.

The UNDERGROUND IRRIGATION Operational Group is developing an innovation project aimed at improving water efficiency in woody crops through underground drip systems in areas with erosion and infiltration problems.

The initiative, called “Optimization of localized irrigation for woody crops in land with erosion and infiltration problems, through underground drip irrigation”, is being carried out in the Bajo Cinca (Aragon), one of the main fruit-growing areas of the region and especially vulnerable from an edaphic point of view.

The project involves fruit growers, research centers and collaborating entities such as NECTACINCA SL, SAT Río Cinca, HOLANUT SL, FITA, CITA, the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Irrigation Community and SEO/BirdLife.

The actions are focused on pilot plots of walnut and platerina trees located in Belver del Cinca and Zaidín, within areas integrated into the Natura 2000 Network. The main objective is to move towards a more efficient and sustainable irrigation model, reducing water losses, improving nutrient management and promoting soil conservation.

The initiative is based on three technological pillars: subsurface drip irrigation, agriculture 4.0 based on advanced sensors and monitoring, and the optimization of inputs to improve soil health and reduce costs associated with the use of fertilizers and energy.

Among the tools used are dendrometers, moisture probes, and digital platforms that allow for adjusting irrigation doses and frequencies to the actual needs of the plantations. The project will also analyze the system's impact on fruit quality through physicochemical and sensory studies of platerina and walnut trees.

Although the project is still underway, significant runoff problems have already been identified in the field, and work has progressed on installing buried systems and sensors. Preliminary results point to the potential of subsurface drip irrigation to reduce water consumption and improve the sustainability of farms.

The initiative also includes a comprehensive economic assessment to analyze its viability and facilitate its potential implementation in other areas of Aragon and the Ebro Valley. The project was approved in the 2024 call for proposals of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Operational Groups, within the framework of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 in Aragon.