Watering and agricultural development:evolution of water usage and effects on the product value

Abstract

Fitting to different environments in Italy, agriculture developed crops and techniques strongly characterized by local specificities so that it originated different agricultural systems in which irrigation practice, acquires itself really different peculiarities. For decades it has been observed the reduction of agricultural lands, and in the last years even a reduction has concerned to irrigated surfaces. In spite of a deeply transformed framework, characterized by a new agriculture role (multifunctional), the importance of irrigation in activating development process has not faded. In particular Southern regions, irrigation water availability represents the efficiency crucial factor and the fundamental input for the diffusion of more profitable crops, hence irrigation represents the essential factor of productive quality and efficiency as much as the instrument capable to increase of value ensemble of mediterranean production specificities and characters.