Smart Irrigation Guide for Farmers

5 Simple Steps to Efficient Water Use for Healthy Crops and Sustainable Agriculture

How much water do crops actually need?

Across the Mediterranean, farmers are facing increasing pressure from water scarcity and rising irrigation costs. At the same time, many irrigation decisions are still based on general assumptions rather than direct information from the soil itself.

The PRIMA NexusLabs Smart Irrigation Guide was developed by the Technical University of Crete, drawing on years of field experience working directly with farmers in Crete and across the Mediterranean, with support from GWP-Med. The aim is simple: to translate scientific knowledge and on-the-ground experience into practical irrigation guidance that farmers can actually use.

Built around 5 simple steps, the guide explains how farmers can:

1. Understand their field’s soil moisture limits
2. Focus irrigation on the root zone
3. Know how long to irrigate using infiltration measurements
4. Use soil moisture data to decide when to irrigate
5. Improve soil to retain more water

Using clear explanations and a real-world avocado plantation example from Crete, the guide shows how smart irrigation practices can:

• reduce water use
• lower irrigation costs
• avoid water losses below the root zone
• maintain healthy crop production

The guide also explains, in simple terms, concepts such as field capacity, wilting point, infiltration rate and soil moisture monitoring, helping farmers better understand how water behaves in their soil and how irrigation can be adjusted accordingly.

Based on practical field measurements and real farming conditions, the guide demonstrates how smarter irrigation can support both agricultural productivity and long-term water sustainability.

Download the Guide