The Impact of Scientific Irrigation Scheduling on Water Use Efficiency, Energy Productivity and Economic Profitability: Analysis at the Farm Level in Tunisia

In water-limited areas, scientific irrigation scheduling is suggested as a valuable tool to optimize the amount and frequency of water required by crops. MOPECO, based on local data including soil texture, crop growth stages, climatic conditions, weather forecast and irrigation scheme characteristics, can be employed to define the optimal irrigation strategy. This tool was implemented within the SUPROMED project and tested in real farms managed by progressive farmers (leader farmers) who had been advised by the research team to monitor irrigation for seven major water-demanding crops (wheat, oat, onion, maize, olive, almond and pistachio). The obtained results were compared with conventional irrigation management as usually practiced by farmers (average farmers), based on their local experiences and knowledge, for the same crops growing in very similar conditions. Water use and energy efficiency use as well as irrigation cost and economic profitability were compared. The results showed that the advised irrigation scheduling provided an effective way to improve water and energy efficiency and increase yields and economic profitability with respect to current farm management. On average, the scientific method (MOPECO) reduced water consumption and energy use by 25.5% and 22%, respectively, achieving a 29% increase in yield and a reduction of 18% in water irrigation cost. The gross margin per hectare was also higher, increasing by 26%. The results also showed that, under advised management, the farmers’ income became more resilient to market price variability, allowing the farmers to have better economic viability. Based on these results, our study suggested that the adaptation of scientific models such as MOPECO to farmers’ requirements and their implementation through training activities could provide end users with a significant opportunity to improve the agronomic and economic efficiency of water and energy in arid regions.