The determination of the actual crop water requirement (CWR) today represents an important prerogative for combating climate change. A three-year trial was conducted to ad-dress the need to provide adequate support to processing tomato growers in defining the correct amounts of water to be supplied. In fact, the objective of this work was to calculate the water requirement of processing tomatoes, specifically analyzing their irrigation needs using the CROPWAT 8.0 software and through capacitive and tensiometric probes. Furthermore, for both methods, the tomato yield was evaluated both by supplying 100% of its water requirement and by supplying, through regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), 70% of its water requirement. Subsequently, for each irrigation strategy employed and for each CWR calculation method, the water footprint was calculated by analyzing the blue, green, and grey components. In the years 2022 and 2023, there was an overestimation of CWR of 13.5% for IR100 and 13.94% for IR70, and 14.53% for IR100 and 11.65% for IR70, respectively, while in 2024 there was an underestimation, with values of 9.17% and 5.22% for the IR100 and IR70 treatments compared to the values obtained with the probes. The total WF of tomatoes varied between 33.42 and 51.91 m³ t⁻¹ with the CROPWAT model and between 35.82 and 47.19 m³ t⁻¹ with the probes for IR100, while for RDI70, the values ranged between 38.72 and 59.44 m³ t⁻¹ with the CROPWAT method and between 35.81 and 53.95 m³ t⁻¹ with the probe method. In water-scarce regions, integrating the CROPWAT 8.0 model (enhanced with real-world data) and implementing smart systems can significantly improve water management, refine decision-making processes, and mitigate environmental impacts. This approach directly addresses the urgent need for water security within sustainable agriculture.

This study explores the revival of cotton (Gossypium spp. L.) farming in Italy through sustainable practices, addressing economic and water-related challenges by integrating cultivar selection, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation, and deficit irrigation under organic farming. Field trials evaluated two widely grown Mediterranean cultivars (Armonia and ST-318) under three irrigation levels (I-100: 100% crop water requirement; I-70: 70%; I-30: 30%) across two Sicilian soil types (sandy loam vs. clay-rich). Under I-100, lint yields reached 0.99 t ha⁻¹, while severe deficit (I-30) yielded only 0.40 t ha⁻¹. However, moderate deficit (I-70) maintained 75–79% of full yields, proving a viable strategy. AMF inoculation significantly enhanced plant height (68.52 cm vs. 65.85 cm), boll number (+22.1%), and seed yield (+12.5%) (p < 0.001). Cultivar responses differed: Armonia performed better under water stress, while ST-318 thrived with full irrigation. Site 1, with higher organic matter, required 31–38% less water and achieved superior irrigation water productivity (1.43 kg m⁻³). Water stress also shortened phenological stages, allowing earlier harvests—important for avoiding autumn rains. These results highlight the potential of combining adaptive irrigation, resilient cultivars, and AMF to restore sustainable cotton production in the Mediterranean, emphasizing the importance of soil-specific management.

The analysis of water and emission efficiency in cropping systems is vital for sustainable agriculture in Mediterranean regions, which face increasing water shortages. This study offers a site-specific assessment of the Water Footprint (WFP) and Carbon Footprint (CFP) of organic cotton grown under Mediterranean conditions, integrating environmental indicator measurements with economic valuation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions via the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC). Experiments were carried out at three sites with different soil types, testing two cultivars (Armonia and ST-318) under three irrigation scenarios: severe water deficit (I30), moderate water deficit (I70), and full irrigation (I100). The results reveal significant site-specific variability, with average WFP_lint values ranging from about 1.440 m³ per ton at the most productive site to over 4.100 m³ per ton at the least productive site. Similarly, CFP_lint is lower under high-yield conditions, emphasizing the strong influence of yield on mass-based indicators. At the Carboj and Primosole sites, shifting from (I30) to I100 results in roughly a 50% reduction in emissions, while at Buonfornello, increased irrigation does not consistently produce benefits. The cultivar response is key: Armonia shows greater resilience to water stress, while ST-318 performs best with full irrigation. Overall, the findings highlight that the sustainability of the Mediterranean cotton system depends on factors such as yield performance, site-specific conditions, and cultivar choice.

Over the past few decades, legume-based intercropping has emerged as a strategic agronomic practice to enhance the sustainability and resilience of agro-ecosystems, thanks to its ability to perform biological nitrogen fixation and store soil organic carbon. The present study, given the growing recognition of agroecological practices, aims to analyze through a global bibliometric analysis the research conducted between 1986 and 2025 on legume–non-legume intercropping, with particular emphasis on its ecological and agronomic benefits. The investigation, carried out according to the PRISMA protocol on the Scopus database, selected 167 original English-language articles, excluding reviews, conference proceedings, modeling studies, and meta-analyses. China and India are identified as the most productive countries. Co-occurrence and bibliographic coupling analyses highlight thematic clusters centered on soil fertility, microbial communities, productivity, and the mitigation of environmental impact. Furthermore, management practices such as integrated rotations, cover crops, and agroforestry systems amplify the benefits in terms of carbon accumulation and resilience to adverse climate conditions. The distribution of publications by journal highlights the centrality of journals such as Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment and Plant and Soil. Overall, the data confirm the crucial role of intercropping as a pillar of the agroecological transition, underscoring the need for policies and research programs capable of amplifying its global adoption. The findings of this study may guide future interdisciplinary research and evidence-based policy decisions aimed at optimizing the design of resilient intercropping systems, tailored to address the challenges posed by climate change and the growing demands of global food security.