Contexte

The aim is to promote the cultivation of organic rice in the Ebro Delta, while preserving and improving biodiversity in an agricultural system with high natural and landscape value as well as natural limitations, such as the Ebro Delta.
The area subject to organic rice growing in the delta does not currently amount to 2%. This is due to the major difficulty that the rice growing sector in the Ebro Delta has in being competitive in terms of obtaining a viable and sustained long-term yield in plots where organic rice is grown.
The main problem is weed infestation, which becomes apparent in cultivated areas after organic rice has been grown there for a few years. The labour costs of removing the weeds increase exponentially every year, and rice plots become infested with weed seeds.
Our aim is to find solutions for controlling the fungal diseases and pests that severely affect the crop.
The extremely restrictive factor of the high salinity levels in the soils in the delta must also be taken into account. This salinity becomes a key factor in defining cultivation strategies and agronomic practices for water management, tillage, weed management and types of sowing and/or planting strategies.
Another aspect we aim to address is the various fertilisation strategies in organic rice production.
Finally, the project also aims to assess the impact of all the biodiversity strategies for cultivated plots, in order to improve biodiversity and the agricultural system in the Ebro Delta area.