poster - International Conference of Agricultural Engineering

Benchmarking of Irrigated Agriculture: The Case of Thessaly
(Greece)
Constantinos Kittas 1 , Thomas Bartzanas 2 , Nikolaos Katsoulas 1 Evaggelini
Kitta 2 , Adrianno Batilliani 3
1 University of Thessaly, Department of Agriculture Production and Rural
Environment, Fytokou St. N. Ionia Magnisias, 38500, Volos Greece
2
Center for Research and Technology-Thessaly, 1 st Industrial Area of Volos, 38500,
Volos, Greece
3 Consorzio di bonifica per il Canale Emiliano Romagnolo CER Via E. Masi, 8 -
40137 Bologna (Italy)
Abstract
*Corresponding author. E-mail: ckittas@uth.gr
We develop a computerized data base for benchmarking irrigated agriculture.
Indicator values in the summary worksheet are calculated automatically after the
basic data are entered into the data base worksheet without user intervention. For
each targeted district, protocols for data collection were defined which were provide
the information and data required for a comprehensive diagnosis and valuation of the
actual management rules for water allocation and distribution, and for proposing
changes and improvements in the organizational structure and the day-to-day
management of the irrigation district. The proposed database provides farmers and
other relative with irrigated water stakeholders, with a suitable method of irrigation
performance assessment through the process of ‘benchmarking’, propose district
best management practices. The proposed indicators and benchmarking exercises
can be used by farmers and water authorities to identify ways to reduce inputs such
as fertilizer or electricity, or to more effectively use irrigated water in order to increase
production, achieving a better water use efficiency. In the present paper we present
the first data from the Region of Thessaly – Greece, the main agriculture region of
Greece.
Key words: water use efficiency, evaporotranspiration, web database
1. Introduction
Water resources management is today regarded as an integrated procedure and in
this context incorporates technical, political, legislative, and organisational
components. Examples of most of the world’s water resources problems can be
found around the Mediterranean basin particularly in the Southern and Eastern parts
of the region. In many watersheds of the Mediterranean Countries, water resources
are presently fully or overcommitted. Demand for water is likely to continue
increasing due to population growth as well as increased demand from in-stream
users. Irrigators are the largest consumers of fresh water in Mediterranean Countries:
either individually or as members of irrigation districts, using up to 80% of all
allocated water in some regions. With the increasing water demand of other sectors
and environmental constraints, water resources available for agriculture will decrease
in the next decades