Short Course: Water Resource Management and Irrigation Innovations
DAFNE Department, Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy
September 29th, 2025 – October 3rd, 2025
Language: English
Organized by the University of Tuscia, Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, from September 29th to October 3rd, 2025, this intensive course offers a comprehensive overview of technologies and strategies for sustainable water management in agriculture. Through seminars and visits to leading agricultural and industrial sites, participants will deepen their knowledge of innovative irrigation techniques, water stress management, and precision agriculture solutions. The course adopts an interdisciplinary approach that integrates agronomy, hydrology, and engineering.
The course is open to a maximum of 25 participants from Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) and is supported by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Department of Asian and North African Studies, under the umbrella of the Italy-Central Asia Knowledge Networks.
For information:
Prof. Andrea Petroselli, petro@unitus.it
Deadlines:
2025, August 15th
Participants are invited to express their interest by completing the Google Form
https://forms.gle/3xmP5CmrjbxNXo1d7
2025, August 20th
Acceptation of the course
Once officially accepted via an email from the DAFNE Department, participants may proceed with organizing their travel logistics, including purchasing their own airfare and booking accommodations in Viterbo, Italy.
Registration fee
There is no registration fee for the course, which is offered by the DAFNE Department and Tuscia University. However, accepted participants are responsible for purchasing their own flight tickets and arranging accommodation in Viterbo. During the week of September 29th to October 3rd, 2025, lunch will be provided by the DAFNE Department and Tuscia University, while participants are expected to cover their own breakfast and dinner.
Detailed Program of the Course
Day 1 – Monday, September 29th, 2025. Seminar on sustainable water resource management and irrigation, visit to the Didactic-Experimental Agricultural Farm.
Lecturers: University of Tuscia (Andrea Petroselli, Ciro Apollonio).
Language: English.
Venue: DAFNE Department, Tuscia University, Viterbo.
Morning (09:30-10:00): Registration. Participant registration, course inauguration, and welcome address by the Head of the DAFNE Department, Prof. Simone Severini.
Morning (10:00-12:00): Seminar on sustainable water resource management and irrigation. The seminar on sustainable water resource management will focus on crucial topics for modern agriculture, which faces increasing environmental and climatic challenges. Advanced water management techniques, such as drip irrigation, will be presented, comparing traditional irrigation methods with innovative solutions. The integrated approach between agronomy and hydrology will be central, aiming to optimize water resource use.
Lunch (10:00-12:00): Lunch. The DAFNE Department will host lunch at a nearby restaurant, within walking distance of the course venue.
Afternoon (14:00-16:00): Guided tour of the University’s Didactic-Experimental Agricultural Farm. Participants will visit the University of Tuscia’s Agricultural Farm, with a particular focus on water resource management strategies applied in the field. Various irrigation systems in operation, such as automatic drip irrigation, and precision technologies that optimize water use will be observed.
Day 2 – Tuesday, September 30th, 2025. Technological innovation in the irrigation sector. Visit to TORO Irrigation, Fiano Romano.
Lecturers: University of Tuscia (Andrea Petroselli) with TORO Irrigation personnel.
Language: Italian with English translation.
Venue: Starting point and ending point at DAFNE Department, Tuscia University, Viterbo. Bus transfer to TORO Irrigation, Fiano Romano, provided by the DAFNE Department.
Morning and Afternoon (09:00-16:00): The day will be entirely dedicated to technological innovation in irrigation. Participants will visit the headquarters of TORO Irrigation in Fiano Romano, one of the world’s leading companies in the production of advanced irrigation systems. During the tour of the production plants and assembly lines, participants will get a close look at the technologies used to develop highly efficient irrigation systems.
The focus will be on the latest innovations in efficiency and sustainability, including the use of advanced sensors to monitor real-time soil moisture, weather conditions, and water consumption, as well as smart solutions that automate and optimize irrigation. A workshop with the R&D team at TORO will provide a deep dive into advanced irrigation management software, with special attention to remote monitoring solutions and data analysis for efficient agricultural water management. During the visit, the H2OCAD irrigation design software (English version) will be illustrated and delivered free of charge and for indefinite use.
Packed lunch offered by the DAFNE Department.
Day 3 – Wednesday, October 1st, 2025. Applied research and agronomic experimentation. Visit to ARSIAL, Tarquinia.
Lecturers: University of Tuscia (Andrea Petroselli) with ARSIAL personnel.
Language: Italian with English translation.
Venue: Starting point and ending point at DAFNE Department, Tuscia University. Bus transfer to ARSIAL, Tarquinia, provided by the DAFNE Department.
Morning and Afternoon (09:00-16:00): The day will focus on applied research and agronomic experimentation with a visit to ARSIAL (Regional Agency for Agricultural Development and Innovation of Lazio) in Tarquinia. ARSIAL is a research center dedicated to developing innovative techniques for sustainable water resource management in agriculture. Participants will explore ongoing experiments on new irrigation techniques, such as zonal irrigation and the use of IoT technologies for continuous soil and water monitoring. A comparison between traditional irrigation methods, such as surface irrigation, and modern technologies that aim to reduce water consumption while maintaining high productivity will be discussed. Special attention will be given to research on drought-resistant crops and adaptation strategies to climate change, such as soil moisture conservation techniques and precision irrigation systems.
Packed lunch offered by the DAFNE Department.
Day 4 – Thursday, October 2nd, 2025. Irrigation and precision agriculture. Visit to Maccarese SpA Agricultural Company, Fiumicino. Lecturers:
University of Tuscia (Andrea Petroselli, Raffaele Casa) with Maccarese Agricultural Company personnel.
Language: Italian with English translation.
Venue: Starting point and ending point at DAFNE Department, Tuscia University. Bus transfer to Maccarese SpA Agricultural Company, Fiumicino, provided by the DAFNE Department.
Morning and Afternoon (09:00-16:00): The final day of the program will focus on water management using technologically advanced tools within the framework of digital and precision agriculture. Participants will visit Maccarese SpA Agricultural Company in Fiumicino (Rome), a 3,240-hectare farm owned by Edizioni Holding of the Benetton Group, located on flat, irrigated land. The main crops include cereals (triticale, durum wheat, soft wheat, barley), corn, alfalfa, and protein crops. Since 2018, the farm has also featured a high-density almond plantation (approximately 2,200 trees/ha) covering about 150 hectares. The farm utilizes digital decision support systems (DSS) and water monitoring services, along with pheromone-based phototraps for pest control. Additionally, the farm operates a dairy cattle farm with 1,400 milking cows and two biogas plants. Maccarese SpA has extensive experience in precision agriculture and livestock farming technologies, and the visit will allow participants to learn from these experiences firsthand.
Packed lunch offered by the DAFNE Department.
Day 5 – Friday, October 3rd, 2025. Seminar on water stress management and Closing of the Course.
Lecturers: University of Tuscia (Mariateresa Cardarelli, Marzia Leporino, Antonio El Chami).
Language: English.
Venue: DAFNE Department, Tuscia University, Viterbo.
Morning (10:00-12:00): Seminar on greenhouse trials conducted by the horticulture research group on water stress management. Experimental protocols will be described, and a demonstration will be conducted on the use of a high-throughput phenotyping platform (spin off Arcadia, University of Tuscia) for stress monitoring. Morphological data and spectral indices resulting from plant phenotyping will be discussed. A seminar on water stress mitigation strategies in modern horticulture will follow, including case studies.
Morning (12:00-12:30): Closing of the Course. Prof. Andrea Petroselli and Prof. Simone Severini.
Lunch (12:30-14:00): Lunch. The DAFNE Department will host lunch at a nearby restaurant, within walking distance of the course venue.
DETAILED LOGISTICS INFORMATION
Venue
The Summer School will take place in the city of Viterbo, at DAFNE – Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Tuscia University. Classes will be held in the university’s classrooms.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1rKW4iov9DSX73Ea6
Travel Information to reach Viterbo
The nearest airport to Viterbo is Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (Fiumicino), located in Rome. Upon arrival:
- Proceed to the airport train station and take the Leonardo Express to “Roma Trastevere” train station.
- From “Roma Trastevere” train station, take a regional train to “Viterbo Porta Romana” train station.
The total travel time is approximately 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on train connections. Please consult the train schedule in advance, as service times may vary.
Train schedules are available at: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Participants are responsible for arranging and purchasing their own air and train tickets.
Accommodation and dinner
Participants must arrange and book their own accommodation. DAFNE will provide lunch during the Summer School, while participants are responsible for their own dinners.
It is recommended to choose a bed and breakfast (B&B) located in Viterbo’s city center, which is approximately a 20-minute walk from the Summer School venue.
Suggested B&B is the Nazareth Residence: https://www.nazarethresidence.com/?lang=en