Martinez-Alvarez, V. - Agricultural Engineering Center, Technical University of Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, Cartagena, 30203, Spain
Javier Diaz Peña, F. - Department of Animal Biology, Soil Science and Geology, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Canary Islands, 38206, Spain
Maestre Valero, J.F. - Agricultural Engineering Center, Technical University of Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, Cartagena, 30203, Spain
Food security concerns, climate change impacts, and increased pressure on conventional water resources have encouraged the agricultural use of nonconventional water resources in the last decade. As a result, desalinated seawater (DSW) has already consolidated its position as an alternative source to increase the supply for crop irrigation in Spain and Israel, where farmers' acceptance is progressively on the rise. The first experiences in these regions highlighted that DSW agricultural use involves new agronomic, economic, and environmental challenges which require innovative research approaches and imply novel water management strategies. In this Special Issue, eight high-quality papers which present current research trials and study cases, covering a wide range of topics that are relevant when irrigating with DSW, have been selected. The papers came from the three regions of the world that currently have a massive agricultural DSW supply: Southeastern Spain, Israel, and the Canary Islands.
Martinez-Alvarez, V. - Agricultural Engineering Center, Technical University of Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, Cartagena, 30203, Spain
Javier Diaz Peña, F. - Department of Animal Biology, Soil Science and Geology, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Canary Islands, 38206, Spain
Maestre Valero, J.F. - Agricultural Engineering Center, Technical University of Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, Cartagena, 30203, Spain
Food security concerns, climate change impacts, and increased pressure on conventional water resources have encouraged the agricultural use of nonconventional water resources in the last decade. As a result, desalinated seawater (DSW) has already consolidated its position as an alternative source to increase the supply for crop irrigation in Spain and Israel, where farmers' acceptance is progressively on the rise. The first experiences in these regions highlighted that DSW agricultural use involves new agronomic, economic, and environmental challenges which require innovative research approaches and imply novel water management strategies. In this Special Issue, eight high-quality papers which present current research trials and study cases, covering a wide range of topics that are relevant when irrigating with DSW, have been selected. The papers came from the three regions of the world that currently have a massive agricultural DSW supply: Southeastern Spain, Israel, and the Canary Islands.