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Photograph of a farm with felled avocado trees in the Axarquía. E. Cabezas
Growing mangoes and avocados using less water: the challenge faced by a group of experts in the Axarquía
Agriculture

Growing mangoes and avocados using less water: the challenge faced by a group of experts in the Axarquía

The IHSM La Mayora research centre in Algarrobo, the University of Malaga and Malaga's young farmers' association are developing a multidisciplinary project for the sustainable management of subtropical fruit in times of drought

Eugenio Cabezas

Axarquía

Wednesday, 5 February 2025, 12:45

Despite the wet autumn and winter so far in Malaga province, the drought is still affecting the area, with reservoirs at just 28 per cent of their capacity. Agriculture in general and the subtropical sector in particular are suffering from the lack of rain, with harvests falling and the loss of thousands of hectares, especially of avocados, which require much more water than mangoes and are less resistant to the salinity of regenerated water.

To try to find solutions to this complex and changing scenario, the La Mayora institute of subtropical and Mediterranean horticulture (IHSM), based in Algarrobo, the University of Malaga (UMA) and Malaga's young farmers' association (ASAJA Málaga) are developing a multidisciplinary project for the sustainable management of subtropical fruit trees in times of drought.

The project is called 'Sustainable management of subtropical fruit trees in Andalucía in a context of water scarcity' and is funded by the Junta de Andalucía within the framework of the regional drought plan. It seeks to meet the challenges of climate change and ensure the sustainability of subtropical crops in Andalucía.

Coordinated by research Professor Iñaki Hormaza of the IHSM La Mayora, the project has the participation of two research groups from the UMA, led by Iñaki Vadillo Pérez and José Damián Ruiz Sinoga, as well as ASAJA Málaga, which is contributing its experience in the transfer of knowledge to the production sector.

The project is a response to a critical situation resulting from anthropogenic climate change.

The project is a response to a critical situation resulting from anthropogenic climate change, the effects of which include a drastic decrease in the availability of quality water for irrigation as a consequence of increasingly prolonged and intense periods of drought. This scenario threatens not only the productivity of subtropical crops, but also the long-term sustainability of the Andalusian agri-food system.

The principal investigator of the project and CSIC research professor at the IHSM La Mayora, Iñaki Hormaza, said in a statement that the "aim of the project is to develop innovative strategies to address the challenges arising from water scarcity".

Water impact

To this end, the changes at soil and plant level derived from the use of reclaimed water, the optimisation of irrigation systems through the evaluation of different irrigation systems that "can reduce the water impact of subtropical fruit production without compromising its productivity and the impact on the chemical quality of groundwater due to the increased use of reclaimed water for agricultural irrigation" will be studied, Hormaza explained.

"The aim is to lay the foundations for a sustainable production model, compatible with conservation".

José Damián Ruiz Sinoga, Professor of Physical Geography at the UMA, said that "the ultimate purpose of the project is not only to provide practical solutions for efficient water management in Andalusian subtropical agriculture", but also to "lay the foundations for a sustainable production model, compatible with the conservation of natural resources in an environment vulnerable to climate change, guaranteeing the resilience of the sector in the face of future adverse climate scenarios".

ASAJA Málaga technician Benjamín Faulí explained that this research project has a grant of 533,000 euros and will last for two years, "work that will focus on two strategic crops, avocado and mango," he added in the aforementioned statement.

The working team recently held its first meeting at the IHSM La Mayora facilities, where the specific objectives, working methodologies and project timetable were defined. During the meeting the researchers and representatives of ASAJA Málaga highlighted the importance of collaboration between academic, scientific and agricultural institutions to face challenges as complex as the water crisis.

Iñaki Vadillo Péres, professor of Ecology and Geology at the UMA, said that this project represents "a step forward in the fight for the sustainability of subtropical agriculture in Andalucía", a region that leads the production of subtropical fruits in Europe. Initiatives such as this one demonstrate that, through collaboration and innovation, "it is possible to face the challenges arising from climate change and guarantee a sustainable future for the agricultural sector," the expert added.

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