Monterotondo, Italy – November 2025
CREA-IT is taking centre stage in the push for climate-resilient agriculture through its leading role in the EU-funded WATERMELLON project under the PRIMA Programme. By developing innovative water-harvesting techniques and sustainable crop-rotation systems, the research centre is helping lay the groundwork for more resilient farming across the Mediterranean. Recent work at the Monterotondo experimental farm underscores CREA-IT’s drive to deliver scalable, science-based solutions for smallholder farmers, drawing on its strong expertise in agricultural engineering to tackle mounting water scarcity and land-degradation challenges.
Flexible Water Tank System (FWTS): CREA-IT’s Blueprint for Water Resilience
The Flexible Water Tank System (FWTS) is the flagship of Water Harvesting System (WHS), developed and successfully implemented at the CREA-IT experimental farm in Monterotondo. This technology stands as a cornerstone of the WATERMELLON project’s water resilience strategy, serving as the technical blueprint for its replication at demo sites in Greece and Algeria.
Technical Functionality and Operational Advantages
The FWTS is an innovative solution designed to maximize water availability through effective runoff capture and storage for supplemental irrigation. The system consists of a flexible, sealed water tank connected to an external water pump. It is strategically positioned to intercept and collect surface runoff water accumulating in adjacent ditches, ponds, or natural depressions immediately following rainfall events. The pump then efficiently transfers this volume into the tank for secure storage.
A key differentiator of the FWTS is its substantial operational flexibility. Its size and shape are fully customizable, and its inherent mobility allows placement without permanently occupying productive agricultural land—a significant advantage over fixed storage infrastructure. Furthermore, the tank’s sealed nature effectively prevents significant water loss through evaporation and mitigates the risk of external contamination of the stored volume.
I. Preliminary Success in Innovative Crop Rotation Systems (Task 3.1)
Beyond infrastructure implementation, CREA-IT is leading the execution of Work Package 3 (WP3), Task 3.1 – Innovative Crop Rotation Systems. This activity focuses on testing the efficiency of water harvested and stored within the FWTS.
Specifically, the stored water was utilized for supplementary irrigation of fiber sorghum, comparing the yield performance against a non-irrigated control plot.
Preliminary results are highly encouraging: the irrigated treatment recorded yields that were almost double (approximately 2\times) those of the non-irrigated control. These findings strongly validate the economic and agronomic viability of integrating the FWTS with drought-resistant crops.
II. Preparing for the Next Phase
Building on this success, the CREA-IT team is currently engaged in the soil preparation and tillage phase for the upcoming agricultural season (2025-2026). The selected rotation crop for this cycle is quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), chosen for its high resilience and nutritional value, further enhancing the project’s focus on adapting farming systems to acute water scarcity.
The activities underscore strategic research and localized innovation are vital to strengthening the resilience of Mediterranean agriculture.
