The pilot’s action plan was designed to achieve multiple technical objectives (increase water efficiency), economic objectives (improve farmers’ revenues) and environmental (address negative environmental impacts—dewatering and soil salinization).

In order to realise these objectives, a more profitable intensive farming system, which does not consume a lot of water, was established: a vegetable cropping implemented in fresh seasons (autumn, winter, and spring) to avoid irrigation in summer. Some of the off-season crops are grown in small tunnels while others in open air.

Techniques such as localized irrigation (drip irrigation), mixed fertilisation (organic and mineral) and preventive phytosanitary treatment were used in the implementation of this intensive farming system.

Crops were grown in April 2012 and their harvest was in summer 2012. The grown vegetables within this demonstration pilot included pepper, tomato, eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin, and cucumber.