BELAUD et al. (2026) Editorial for the special issue on performance gaps of irrigation systems in Mediterranean agriculture

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-17
• Authors: Gilles BELAUD, Maria do Rosário Cameira, Kévin Daudin, Crystèle Léauthaud
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2025.110110

Research Groups

• UMR G-Eau, Univ. Montpellier, Institut Agro, AgroParisTech, BRGM, CIRAD, INRAE, IRD, France
• LEAF—Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food Research Center, Associated Laboratory TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
• Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), University of California, Davis, California, USA
• Center for Agroecology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Short Summary

This special issue analyzes and evaluates low-cost technological innovations to improve the sustainability of irrigation systems in the Mediterranean, concluding that reducing performance gaps requires integrated, farmer-centered approaches combining technical robustness with participatory innovation.

Objective

• To analyze the emergence and evaluate low-cost technological innovations aimed at improving the sustainability of irrigation systems in the Mediterranean Region, with a specific focus on small farms and addressing issues of affordability, ease of implementation, appropriation, and maintenance.
• To further analyze how participatory action research, conducted in an open-innovation environment, can influence the adoption and co-design of these technologies compared to top-down public policy approaches.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Mediterranean Region, farm level, irrigation scheme level, basin level, small watersheds (e.g., 99 square kilometers), specific sites in southern France, Morocco, Wadi Suf valley (Algeria), Lucefecit Collective Irrigation System, Genil-Cabra irrigation fab-lab, and the lower Guadalquivir River valley.
• Temporal Scale: Real-time monitoring, seasonal weather forecasting, long-term farmer engagement, high temporal resolution satellite imagery (3–5 days).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Crop modelling (e.g., SIMETAW), specific rice-field models accounting for drainage water reuse, models combining crop development with surface irrigation simulation, network and demand modelling, participatory modelling approaches.
• Data sources: Low-tech sensors (e.g., binary wet/dry sensors), mobile applications, satellite-based services (Sentinel 2, Sentinel 3 imagery), free meteorological data (Weather Research Forecast), field calibration, focus groups, face-to-face interviews, Rapid Appraisal Process, chemical outflow monitoring, and downstream monitoring at catchment outlets.

Main Results

• Significant performance gaps persist in Mediterranean irrigation systems, with irrigation efficiencies as low as 20% for border irrigation (and exceptionally below 10%) and average 49% for drip irrigation in some berry productions (some farms below 20%).
• Poor uniformity is a recurrent issue across various irrigation technologies, including drip, center-pivot, and collective hydraulic networks.
• Low-cost technological solutions, such as simple sensors and mobile applications, can improve irrigation timing by up to a factor of two, reduce labor requirements, and increase irrigation efficiency, leading to reduced water and nutrient losses.
• Integration of satellite data (e.g., Sentinel-2) into crop-water balance models allows for reliable estimation of actual evapotranspiration and water requirements at watershed scales.
• Seasonal weather forecasts show promise for enhancing early-season water management decisions.
• "Irrigation fab-labs" (open maker-places) facilitate shared diagnosis, co-design of innovations tailored to local needs, performance evaluation, and adaptation of irrigation networks to anticipated changes.
• Participatory action research and co-innovation processes are crucial for adapting technologies to local needs, improving user autonomy, and fostering a network of learning initiatives among local actors and researchers.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive analysis of low-cost technological innovations for improving irrigation sustainability in the Mediterranean, specifically addressing the needs and constraints of small farms.
• Introduces and evaluates the concept of "irrigation fab-labs" and participatory action research as effective bottom-up approaches for innovation co-design, technology adoption, and knowledge generation.
• Highlights the persistent and significant irrigation performance gaps across various technologies and scales, offering diverse case studies and solutions beyond conventional modernization efforts.
• Emphasizes the critical role of collaborative technological pathways and the adaptation of research practices to local socio-technical environments for effective deployment of irrigation technologies.

Funding

• The special issue was inspired by the Hubis project.

Citation

@article{BELAUD2026Editorial,
  author = {BELAUD, Gilles and Cameira, Maria do Rosário and Daudin, Kévin and Léauthaud, Crystèle},
  title = {Editorial for the special issue on performance gaps of irrigation systems in Mediterranean agriculture},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2025.110110},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2025.110110}
}