Improving water use efficiency of vegetable as part of integrated sustainable agriculture management for smallholders and landless in the tropics

Water is essential for agricultural production and food security of the world population. In the coming decades, a growing number of regions will face increasing water scarcity while, due to the global population expected to reach more than 9 billion people by 2050, demand for food is expected to surge by more than 50%. Considering that about 70% of global freshwater withdrawals are directly used in agriculture, accurate management of agricultural water resources to increase crop WUE is one of the main targets in research on plant-soil-water relations. Different strategies are available to predict soil water availability for plants and maximize crop water use efficiency. Novel irrigation technologies need to be adapted to local environmental conditions and available technical solutions, particularly in simplified growing systems generally found in developing countries. Proper management of irrigation can be beneficial for the farmers since it improves and stabilizes yield in water shortages. Furthermore, it can lower the competition for water use among domestic, industrial, and agricultural sectors. The thesis analyzes the use of natural resources for vegetable production. It is based on improving water resources management in vegetable cultivation both in rural and urban environments. Currently, urban agriculture is increasingly widespread and consolidated, and for this reason, users must also apply agricultural technologies to maximize the efficiency of natural resources contributing to environmental sustainability. Improving water use efficiency in horticulture is a key issue in ensuring its environmental sustainability in rural and urban environments. Moreover, the selection of drought-resistant varieties and crop diversification also play an essential role in obtaining sustainably the production necessary to meet the world's population's growing food requirements. This dissertation's scenario adopts innovative and rational irrigation strategies to increase water use efficiency on both on-soil and simplified soilless systems in different urban and rural environments, mainly in Tropical contexts.