The IRTA presented today at the Torre d'en Fàbregues in Constantí (Tarragonès) a new demonstrative and experimental platform for hazelnut cultivation, launched in collaboration with the Tarragona Provincial Council. This pilot farm, named "Water and Hazelnut", will cover 10 hectares and has been created as a space for applied research and knowledge transfer in order to address the effects of climate change and the main agronomic, water-related, and environmental challenges affecting hazelnut cultivation—particularly in Camp de Tarragona, where most of Catalonia's hazelnut production is concentrated.
The platform has been designed to test innovative strategies that help adapt the crop to more extreme climate conditions and make it more efficient and profitable. It will explore irrigation techniques with different water quantities and qualities—such as the use of reclaimed water—as well as tree architectures, shading systems, and drought- and salinity-tolerant varieties. Monitoring technologies, such as weighing and drainage lysimeters, will also be used to measure the crop's water behavior and the environmental impact of irrigation practices.
This initiative is strongly focused on knowledge transfer: throughout the year, technical workshops, visits, and open-door sessions will be held, and the results obtained will be published annually to ensure that information reaches producers in a direct and practical way.
As part of this technical event, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Òscar Ordeig, took part to share the main lines of the upcoming Catalan Hazelnut Plan 2025–2028, which the Department is finalizing. This plan will include measures related to sustainable production and plant health, specific financing, the quality and differentiation of Catalan hazelnuts, promotion and marketing, and improvements to irrigation systems. During his speech, the Minister emphasized that “we cannot lose the hazelnut sector, because it is a symbol of territorial identity,” and highlighted the importance of ensuring generational renewal and maintaining the viability of farms.
With this project, the IRTA and the Tarragona Provincial Council place research at the service of the territory and reaffirm their commitment to the future of hazelnut cultivation in Catalonia, equipping it with practical and transferable tools to tackle today’s and tomorrow’s agronomic and climate challenges.
