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CLIMAGROW

Comprehensive Solutions for Crop Production in Times of Climate Challenges: Upgrading Knowledge, Competences, and Infrastructure

IRP38 – Consortium of Knowledge Institutions Supporting the Transition of Agriculture toward Green, Digital, and Climate‑Neutral Practices

Project duration: 19. 6 .2025 – 19. 6. 2029

Partner organisations:

  • Inštitut za hmeljarstvo in pivovarstvo Slovenije (LEAD PARTNER)
  • Kmetijski inštitut Slovenije
  • Univerza v Ljubljani
  • Univerza v Mariboru, Fakulteta za kmetijstvo in biosistemske vede
  • Znanstveno-raziskovalno središče Koper
  • Šola za hortikulturo in vizualne umetnosti Celje
  • Kmetijsko gozdarska zbornica Slovenije
  • KGZS – Zavod CE
  • KGZS Zavod Ptuj
  • KGZS – Zavod Kranj
  • Kmetija Marovt Miha
  • Kmetija Ribič Jožef
  • Kmetija Zupanc Matej
  • Kmetija Žagar Primož
  • Kmetija Korpar Peter
  • Kmetija Zatler Pavel
  • Kmetija Novak Iris
  • Jeruzalem Ormož SAT d.o.o.

Project value: 2.000.000,00 €

Participating institute: Institute for Oliveculture

Summary:

The current state of irrigation in Slovenia shows that significant improvements are needed. The share of irrigated agricultural land is among the lowest in Europe, and the knowledge system and support services in this field are insufficient, fragmented, and poorly organised. To follow the Strategy for the Development of Slovenian Agriculture and the Strategic Plan until 2027, it is essential to strengthen knowledge and knowledge transfer in irrigation and other measures that help mitigate the effects of climate change (climate‑adapted crops and resilient varieties, climate‑adapted greenhouse production, use of beneficial microorganisms to reduce drought stress, development of aerobiological methods for pest monitoring and more efficient use of PPPs and biostimulants, advanced manure‑processing technologies, introduction of cover‑crop mixtures, adapted crop rotation, and practices that improve water retention and maintain agroecological functions).

The IRP38 instrument provides an effective platform connecting agricultural producers, key institutions, and organisations, creating a research and development environment for efficient knowledge transfer to end users. Establishing a consortium for climate‑change adaptation forms the basis for implementing concrete measures to improve agricultural efficiency, sustainable water management, and innovation in agriculture. Through cooperation and coordination among various stakeholders, the project aims to achieve sustainable solutions for climate‑change challenges in agriculture.

The consortium’s shared vision is to ensure better, sustainable, and systemic solutions for more efficient management of natural (water) resources in agriculture, reducing environmental impacts and supporting long‑term sustainable development of a climate‑resilient agricultural sector (especially regarding drought). The project covers hop production, olive growing, vegetable production, arable farming, and fruit growing. This shift will enable a more comprehensive and systemic approach to agricultural challenges and support the sector’s sustainable development.

Objectives and Purpose of the Intervention:

Connecting knowledge institutions within the AKIS system

Objective 1: Establish a permanent partnership among creators, exchangers, and transmitters of knowledge in the field of climate‑change adaptation in crop production.

Establishing and upgrading experimental-demonstration infrastructure

Objective 2: Establish and upgrade two laboratories for irrigation and soil physics at the lead partner and one consortium member.

Objective 3: Establish and upgrade existing experimental–demonstration infrastructure (testing fields) at knowledge institutions across six locations in Slovenia.

Objective 4: Upgrade and install soil‑water availability sensors for irrigation forecasting and meteorological stations (on selected farms) at eight farms and one secondary school.

Objective 5: Establish and upgrade one experimental–demonstration site (within the six locations) dedicated to developing, testing, and introducing adapted agrotechnical measures for soil management, plant care, crop rotation, and agroecology. This includes studying beneficial plant–microbe interactions to reduce drought stress in selected crops and cover crops, and evaluating suitable mixtures, sowing times, seed rates, and optimal rotations for local pedoclimatic conditions.

Objective 6: Establish and upgrade two experimental–demonstration sites (within the six locations) for studying climate‑change impacts under real field conditions – a rain shelter (Ptuj) and a site for processing organic manure and plant residues (drying digestate for pelletised fertilisers) (Jablje).

Objective 7: Within four experimental–demonstration sites, test new equipment and approaches used globally for monitoring soil‑water availability to improve drought response and precision irrigation.

Objective 8: Develop, test, and introduce adapted agrotechnical measures for soil management and plant care using aerobiological methods for pest monitoring and studying more efficient use of PPPs and other plant‑protection products (resistance enhancers, biostimulants, etc.) at one existing location.

Objective 9: Ensure shared use of infrastructure for all mandatory consortium members throughout the project.

Objective 10: Establish demonstrations of climate‑adapted soil cultivation in protected environments to optimise production under changing climate conditions.

Developing knowledge with a focus on farmers’ needs

Objective 11: Support and exchange knowledge with eight farms in establishing and upgrading irrigation forecasting systems tailored to farmers’ key needs.

Objective 12: Test new equipment and approaches for soil‑water monitoring at a minimum of four locations within the consortium and participating farms.

Accelerating knowledge exchange and transfer to farmers and other AKIS stakeholders

Objective 13: Support and exchange knowledge with other AKIS stakeholders (project partners) at a minimum of four locations in Slovenia in establishing and implementing irrigation forecasting on experimental–demonstration fields.

Objective 14: Transfer and integrate newly tested equipment and approaches into irrigation‑forecasting systems at farm level and among other AKIS stakeholders.

Objective 15: Support farms in education, understanding, and correct use of developed knowledge and solutions for informed irrigation decisions, enabling optimisation of water use and increased production sustainability.

Developing, exchanging and transferring systemic solutions for sustainable, resilient, greem, digital and climate-neutral agriculture

Objective 16: Develop and optimise a measurement scheme for regulating irrigation doses in precision agriculture as a systemic solution contributing to increased farm competitiveness, climate‑change adaptation, reduced GHG emissions, more efficient energy use, effective water and soil management, and strengthened ecosystem services.

Expected results:

Upgraded comprehensive soil analytics and expanded national capacities

Upgraded soil‑water monitoring network and irrigation forecasting

Testing the effectiveness of digitalisation in irrigation under diverse socio‑economic and environmental conditions

Improved competences for implementing effective climate‑change adaptation measures

The project is financed under the IRP38 intervention – Consortiums of Knowledge Institutions Supporting the Transition of Agriculture toward Green, Digital, and Climate‑Neutral Practices within the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027.