Name of the intervention:
IRP38 – Consortia of Knowledge Institutions Supporting the Transition of Agriculture towards Green, Digital and Climate-Neutral Practices
Name of the operation:
Integrated Solutions for Crop Production under Climate Challenges: Enhancement of Knowledge, Competences and Infrastructure (CLIMAGROW)
Approved funding: EUR 2,000,000.00
Project duration: 19 June 2025 – 19 June 2029
The operation is funded under Intervention IRP38 – Consortia of Knowledge Institutions Supporting the Transition of Agriculture towards Green, Digital and Climate-Neutral Practices, within the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027.
Lead Partner: Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing (IHPS)
Project Leader: Boštjan Naglič – Inštitut za hmeljarstvo in pivovarstvo Slovenije (e-mail: bostjan.naglic@ihps.si)
The current state of irrigation in Slovenia indicates a clear need for improvement. The share of irrigated agricultural land is among the lowest in Europe, while the knowledge system and quality of support available to agriculture in this field remain insufficient, fragmented, and poorly coordinated. In order to meet the objectives of the Slovenian Agricultural Development Strategy and the Strategic Plan up to 2027, it is essential to ensure appropriate support for knowledge development and knowledge transfer in the field of irrigation and other measures aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change. These include the use of adapted crops and resilient varieties, climate-adapted greenhouse production, the use of beneficial microorganisms to reduce drought stress, the development of aerobiological methods for pest monitoring and more efficient use of plant protection products and biostimulants, advanced technologies for manure processing, the introduction of cover-crop mixtures and adapted crop rotations, and practices that improve water retention and support other agroecological functions.
The IRP38 intervention provides an effective platform for connecting agricultural producers with key institutions and organisations active in this field, while creating a research and development environment that enables efficient transfer of knowledge to end users. The establishment of a consortium focused on climate-change adaptation provides a basis for implementing concrete measures to improve agricultural efficiency, promote sustainable water-resource management, and foster innovation in agriculture. By strengthening cooperation and coordination among different stakeholders, the consortium aims to develop sustainable solutions to climate-related challenges in agriculture.
The shared vision of the consortium is to provide better, sustainable, and systemic solutions for more efficient management of natural resources, particularly water, in agriculture. This approach is intended to reduce negative environmental impacts and support the long-term sustainable development of an agricultural sector that is more resilient to climate change, especially drought. The project covers hop production, olive growing, vegetable production, arable farming, and fruit production. The planned activities will enable a more integrated and systematic response to agricultural challenges and contribute to the sustainable development of the sector.
- establish a long-term partnership among institutions involved in generating, exchanging and transferring knowledge on climate-change adaptation;
- upgrade experimental and demonstration infrastructure, including irrigation and soil-physics laboratories, field demonstration sites, soil-water monitoring systems and meteorological stations;
- develop and test precision irrigation, soil-water monitoring, climate-adapted crop management, agroecological practices, beneficial plant–microbe interactions, cover crops, crop rotations and protected cultivation;
- improve methods for pest monitoring and more efficient use of plant protection products, biostimulants and other crop-protection tools;
- develop knowledge based on the practical needs of farmers, including irrigation forecasting and decision-support systems;
- accelerate the transfer of tested technologies and knowledge to farmers and other AKIS stakeholders;
- develop systemic solutions that improve water- and soil-use efficiency, farm competitiveness, climate resilience, resource efficiency and environmental sustainability.
A key final objective is the development and optimisation of a measurement-based precision irrigation system that supports efficient water management and adaptation of agricultural production to climate change.
- Upgrading comprehensive analytical capabilities for assessing the physical properties of soils and expanding related capacities in Slovenia.
- Upgrading the network for soil-water monitoring and irrigation forecasting.
- Testing the effectiveness of digitalisation in irrigation under different socio-economic and environmental conditions.
- Strengthening competences for implementing effective climate-change adaptation measures
- Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing (IHPS) – Lead Partner
- Agricultural Institute of Slovenia
- University of Ljubljana
- University of Maribor, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Science and Research Centre Koper
- School of Horticulture and Visual Arts Celje
- Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia
- Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia – Celje Institute
- Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia – Ptuj Institute
- Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia – Kranj Institute
- Miha Marovt Farm
- Jožef Ribič Farm
- Matej Zupanc Farm
- Primož Žagar Farm
- Peter Korpar Farm
- Pavel Zatler Farm
- Iris Novak Farm
- Jeruzalem Ormož SAT d.o.o.
