Project Agritech by ELGO-DIMITRA | Sector: Agriculture

1. Problem Description

Agriculture increasingly faces water scarcity due to climate change, population growth, and environmental degradation. Treated wastewater contains valuable nutrients (N, P, K), but its high salinity presents major challenges:

Reduced plant capacity to absorb water

Toxic effects on plant cells (oxidative stress)
Negative impact on germination, photosynthesis, growth, yield, and overall crop quality

At the same time, there is a growing need to reduce carbon footprints, increase biodiversity, and adopt resilient farming systems. Farmers require sustainable irrigation practices that are both resource-efficient and environmentally responsible.

2. Solution

ELGO-DIMITRA led Work Package 3 (WP3) of the project Agritech to test and mitigate the negative impacts of treated wastewater reuse on soil salinity and biodiversity by combining renewable-energy- driven irrigation systems with advanced plant physiology and omics tools. The project developed energy- efficient greenhouse irrigation models supported by Life Cycle Assessments, monitored tomato varieties irrigated with treated wastewater through phenotypic, molecular, and quality analyses, and compared their performance to plants receiving standard irrigation. Sustainable agricultural techniques such as vegetable grafting, along with open-field and hydroponic trials in Greece and Tunisia, were employed to enhance plant resilience to salinity, while additional practices were identified to promote soil biodiversity.

Together, these integrated actions support plant adaptation, improve abiotic stress tolerance, and advance sustainable water management in agriculture.

3. Results

Successful greenhouse and open-field trials with tomatoes irrigated with treated
25 trusses harvested from hydroponic greenhouse systems using treated
Detailed environmental data collection for LCA and sustainability
Identification of physiological plant responses enabling better adaptation
Development of practical models for farmers to reduce carbon footprint and reuse water
Enhanced understanding of wastewater impacts on plant health, yield, and soil