Why VEG-ADAPT?
Steady increase of CO2 concentration in the world atmosphere has been recorded since the 1980s and this has gone hand-in-hand with major changes in climate, which are now severely affecting Mediterranean agriculture, threatening food security and putting at risk the economic sustainability of both small family and industrial farms.
Steady increase of CO2 concentration in the world atmosphere has been recorded since the 1980s and this has gone hand-in-hand with major changes in climate, which are now severely affecting Mediterranean agriculture, threatening food security and putting at risk the economic sustainability of both small family and industrial farms.
Climate change causes and worsens environmental stresses such as drought, heat, and salinity, which are strictly interconnected lower the amount of water available for crops. In the Mediterranean area, increased temperatures are being recorded, together with a general decrease and discontinuity in rainfall. Long hot and dry periods are posing severe limits to non-irrigated crops and, in the case of irrigated vegetable crops, water resources may become insufficient to successfully grow commercial Ă©lite varieties. A further problem induced by climate change is a higher risk of salt stress, brought upon by reduced irrigation and rainfall and heat-driven evaporation, which may force farmers to use low-quality salty water for irrigation.
Vegetable crops in the Mediterranean are increasingly exposed to climate change-induced, single and multiple stresses, in particular drought, heat, and salinity. Improving plant resilience to stress in correctly planned crop management systems is key to achieve crop adaptation to climate-change-induced stress.
Tomato, pepper, and melon are major fruit vegetable crops in the Mediterranean. Collectively, these crops are the major providers of fruit to the Mediterranean countries, with a total yield reaching 45 million tonnes in 2016. These vegetables have carotenoid- rich fruit, significantly contributing to the dietary uptake of antioxidants in the Mediterranean population, and their consumption is estimated to 40 kg per capita and year collectively.