Drought

Responses to drought of two Mediterranean ring-porous, deciduous species: Searching for climate smart trees and shrubs

Drought-tolerant tree species with high growth rates and a good capacity for carbon storage in woody tissues (dense wood) are searched for due to aridification. Deciduous, ring-porous tree and shrub species could show such drought tolerance and growth traits, thus representing good candidates for climate-smart rewilding. However, we still do not know the long-term growth…

A critical assessment of conservation agriculture among smallholders in the Mediterranean region: adoption pathways inspired by agroecological principles

Conservation agriculture (CA) is the key agricultural soil management approach for Mediterranean rainfed systems facing extreme droughts and soil degradation. Yet, CA uptake and applicability is still marginal and disputed in the Mediterranean region, where smallholder farmers are most representative. Lack of widespread adoption of CA in the Mediterranean region despite international efforts is perplexing….

Impacts of a hydroinfiltrator rainwater harvesting system on soil moisture regime and groundwater distribution for olive groves in semi-arid Mediterranean regions

Dry periods in semi-arid regions constitute one of the greatest hazardous features that agriculture faces. This study investigates the effects of using a new device called ‘Hydroinfiltrator Rainwater Harvesting System (HRHS) on the water balance of soils. It was designed for arid and semi-arid zones affected by long periods of drought punctuated by heavy rainstorms….

Groves Need Rain Ahead of Harvest in Greece

Groves Need Rain Ahead of Harvest in Greece

After more than four months of hot and dry weather in much of Greece, olive farm­ers and olive oil pro­duc­ers cite rain as the most crit­i­cal fac­tor for a sub­stan­tial olive oil crop in the coun­try in the com­ing 2024/25 crop year. “The drought has hit olive farm­ing through­out the Mediterranean,” said Yiorgos Kokkinos, the pres­i­dent…

Greek islands: Fighting water shortages with desalination

Greek islands: Fighting water shortages with desalination

It is hot and sticky inside the crowded ferry approaching the coast of Naxos. When the ferry docks, the tourists, who are laden down with baggage, surge forward, impatient to disembark. It takes about half an hour for everyone to leave the ferry. The port is extremely busy: Cars honk horns, motorcycles weave in and out between…