IRRIGAVIT: Rational irrigation and soil management in cross-border viticulture

Viticulture is one of the most important economic sectors in the cross-border area, where it is cultivated with a long tradition. Considering the ongoing changes, mainly due to the climate crisis, and given the evident increase in drought situations, it is imperative to determine good water management practices based on the principles of sustainability established by the European Green Deal and by the Mitigation Strategies. The simultaneous increase in temperatures combined with a decrease in rainfall is threatening both the quality/quantity of the grapes produced and the survival of the grapevines. In the cross-border wine-growing area, the use of irrigation is limited due to both a lack of water sources and a traditional issue. Nonetheless, the practice of irrigation is now considered, both at the Slovenian and Italian legislative level, a necessary relief practice, which must be considered in the production regulations. In this new project we want to consolidate and expand these resilience strategies in new areas of high interest (Colli Orientali, Brda) to then be proposed to the main policy makers, with the aim of creating new guidelines that can be applied by winemakers.