Research: the drought situation in Europe demands an immediate solution

The researchers propose several – already known – methods to reduce the drought. (Photo: Pixabay)

ELTE’s announcement on Wednesday stated that the researchers’ latest drought map presents a shocking picture, as the annual average of soil moisture available for plants shows a decreasing trend across almost the entire continent between 1981 and 2017. The researchers’ study reveals that the summer semester, which covers most of the growing season, has significantly decreased in nearly half of European agricultural land.

They showed where the moisture in the soil is the least

According to a study published in the European Journal of Agronomy, the wettest soils are farmed in the Alpine, Baltic and Western Balkan countries, while the driest agricultural areas are mainly found in Mediterranean and Eastern European countries. Hungary and the countries of the Northern Balkans are also mentioned among the countries with the driest soil.

There is a solution to reduce and treat the drought situation

In the study, the researchers also listed traditional methods that can be used to reduce the drought situation. For example, deciding on greater plant spacing, no-till or minimal soil disturbance practices, and mulching. As a key element of a sustainable land use system, MAR technology effectively improves the resilience of landscapes to drought through water seeped into the soil over a large area. This has also been recognized by the European Union (EU).

MTI