Climate change is significantly affecting agriculture in the Mediterranean region, especially perennial crops such as vines. To address these challenges, the European Climed-Fruit project seeks to collect and disseminate practical knowledge that is ready for implementation, with the aim of improving climate change adaptation and mitigation in this sector.
The project is led by a multidisciplinary consortium that includes consultants, farmers’ associations, research institutes, educational and training institutions, and a standardisation body. Climed-Fruit draws on the results obtained by nine Operational Groups (OGs) across Europe and aims to enable the direct transfer of knowledge between researchers and professionals in the sector.
Among the practices compiled by Climed-Fruit, we highlight four innovative solutions applicable to the wine sector, which have proven effective in improving the resilience of vineyards to extreme weather conditions. The practices described are included in ‘’Factsheets’ and ‘’Digital Stories’ (short videos), which specify their origin, offer technical advice for their application and include a simplified analysis of the corresponding costs and benefits.
Below, we present the first of the four selected solutions:
Subsurface drip irrigation
Mild winters, scattered rainfall, increasingly frequent droughts… The gradual change in rainfall patterns in the Mediterranean basin is putting increasing pressure on vineyards. To address this problem, winegrowers are increasingly turning to irrigation techniques. Although it is far from being the solution to climate change, irrigation can be a very useful tool in certain production contexts. However, it is essential to establish a system that is as efficient as possible, both in terms of water resources and costs. Authorised in France since September 2017, subsurface irrigation has been gradually developing in recent years.
This innovative technique optimises water use in vineyards by reducing evaporation and improving irrigation efficiency. It has a direct impact on the moisture bulb profile generated in the soil. This type of irrigation facilitates mechanical weeding and weed management and improves root development at depth.
Improved water use efficiency is the main advantage of this irrigation system and can provide a boost to establishing vegetation cover and maintaining viticulture in dry areas. This system can also be used as part of a fertigation strategy. Factors to consider include the useful life of the material used and the importance of not producing plastic waste that contaminates the soil.
For further technical advice and to learn more about the work carried out on this topic by the OFIVO task force, coordinated by the IFV, please refer to the dedicated fact sheet and explanatory video:
