Researchers aid fruit cultivators amidst climate fluctuations

Agriculture in the face of climate change - Researchers aid fruit cultivators amidst climate fluctuations

Researchers in Central Germany are working to assist orchard farmers in adapting to the altering conditions brought on by climate change. Hannes Mollenhauer from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig reports that although there's usually enough water supplied throughout the year, it's mainly during the winters and springs while there are summer droughts.

The scientists' objective is to perfect models to predict the level of available water for irrigation in each area. This would supply orchard farmers with a forecast with a pretty much 90-day heads up. Mollenhauer reveals that AI and physics models will be merged to accomplish higher planning certainty.

The team is currently examining conditions for trees on a tiny orchard near Halberstadt and at Sachsenobst, one of Germany's biggest apple growers. They're trying to establish how much water the plants need and calculate the farm's water requirements several days in advance with the aid of models. They're studying both irrigated and non-irrigated apple trees.

Weather stations have been placed to measure rainfall, sunlight, air temperature, and wind, among other variables, to better comprehend the circumstances for the apple trees. In addition, sensors have been put into the ground and on the plant to tailor the models to the site.

This regional water management study is part of the Miro (Central German Innovation Region for Fruit Growing) project. Its main focus is the digitalization of fruit farming, from cultivation to breeding and marketing.

This project is now set to run until the end of 2025, but might potentially continue longer. It gets its funding from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. There are numerous cooperation partners from various scientific and agricultural fields.

For more details about the project, go to https://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/research/research-topics/agriculture/miro.html.

Read also:

1. The Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research - UFZ in Leipzig, located in Saxony-Anhalt, is leading a research project to help farmers adapt to climate change in Central Germany.
2. The UFZ researchers, including Hannes Mollenhauer, are focusing on developing models to predict water availability for irrigation during drought phases, providing up to 90-day forecasts.
3. The study is taking place on a small orchard near Halberstadt and at Sachsenobst, one of Germany's largest apple growers, examining the water needs of both irrigated and non-irrigated trees.
4. To improve the accuracy of their models, the scientists are collecting data on rainfall, sunlight, air temperature, wind, and other variables using weather stations and sensors placed in the ground and on the plants.
5. This regional water management research is part of the Miro (Central German Innovation Region for Fruit Growing) project, which aims to digitalize fruit farming and runs until the end of 2025 with funding from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
6. The Miro project involves numerous cooperation partners from various scientific and agricultural fields, contributing to the advancement of climate change research and agriculture adaptation strategies in Central Germany.

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