Modelling Water-Soil Efficiency to Optimize Water Use in the Irrigated Area of Fucino Plain (Abruzzo, Central Italy).

The Fucino lacustrine plain is an irrigated area of Central Italy mostly interested by highly profitable intensive vegetable and potatoes crops, reclaimed from lake waters at the end of 19th century. The plain has a shallow and controlled groundwater table, and channels draining the surplus water during winter. The aim of the work is to show a first calibration of a model based on the geographic distribution of soil-climate-crop-irrigation techniques, that can be able to quantify the hydrological efficiency under Mediterranean climatic conditions, and optimize the different water irrigation volumes necessary to meet the estimated crop water needs. Through modelling were calculated water fractions lost for runoff or surface ponding or deep percolation, and the effect of surface groundwater on the crop water balance, under different irrigation scheduling.