Water Management in Woody Crops: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Water is an essential resource for agriculture, accounting for 40–60% of total water consumption in Europe, mostly used for irrigation [1]. Climate and environmental changes put pressure on the use of water for irrigation, which must reduce water losses and wastages while improving the productivity of irrigated crops [2,3]. Water use optimization is essential for the long-term sustainability of agroecosystems, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, and under the current climate change scenarios (higher air temperatures, more severe drought, and heat waves), since crop yield, quality, and economic viability largely depend on water availability [1,4]. In the case of woody crops, it is a serious concern due to the large extension of these crops in different climatic conditions, the high inputs required for growing them, and the higher water losses due to soil evaporation (i.e., higher bare-soil proportion) in comparison to homogeneous crops. These limitations have driven the research of new strategies for coping with water scarcity, as the development of more efficient irrigation strategies (e.g., subsurface irrigation or regulated deficit irrigation) and sustainable soil management practices (e.g., plastic or vegetation mulching). The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an overview of recent advances in several aspects related to water management in woody crops (i.e., fruit orchards, olive groves, vineyards, citrus, berries, forest stands, shrubs, etc.).