Climate change will impact the quality of the wine
Climate change can have a big impact on agriculture in Portugal. Within the framework of the project Clima@EduMedia, “Blogue Expressão” interviewed, via Skype, Hélder Fraga, researcher at the Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (CITAB / UTAD), to find out which are the most affected cultures/crops and what adaptation measures can be applied.
According Hélder Fraga, Portugal will not escape the effects of climate change. In general, the whole country will be affected, particularly the southern regions of the country, which does not mean that Guarda can escape these effects. Although the projections for this district are not as negative, there will be an increase of temperature between 3 and 5 degrees before the end of the century. Viticulture and olive growing, two economic activities of great importance, are expected to be particularly affected, but so are all cultures.
“The climatic factors have a big effect on agriculture. We know that every region in Portugal will be affected by rising temperatures and drought. Water and heat stress that will exist in the future could have a major impact both on production and quality of the final product, namely the wine”, explains the researcher.
According to Hélder Fraga, “one of the possible adaptation measures is the application of irrigation, a controversial measure since it is considered a scarce resource, though likely necessary. Another possible measure is the alteration of the vineyard’s conduction system (how the vineyard is laid out, type of sun exposure, etc.) or planting grape species and/ or rootstocks that are better adapted to warm and dry weather”.
“The climatic factors have a big effect on agriculture. We know that every region in Portugal will be affected by rising temperatures and drought. Water and heat stress that will exist in the future could have a major impact both on production and quality of the final product, namely the wine”, explains the researcher.
According to Hélder Fraga, “one of the possible adaptation measures is the application of irrigation, a controversial measure since it is considered a scarce resource, though likely necessary. Another possible measure is the alteration of the vineyard’s conduction system (how the vineyard is laid out, type of sun exposure, etc.) or planting grape species and/ or rootstocks that are better adapted to warm and dry weather”.
Work by: Filipa Silva e Soraia Matos
7th Grade
Escola Secundária Afonso de Albuquerque (High School), Guarda
This work was carried out under the Flash Seminar held on the 15th and the 22nd of May 2015 at Escola Secundária Afonso de Albuquerque (High School), in Guarda. Students developed media content based on interviews with experts in various fields related to climate change and research on the subject.
7th Grade
Escola Secundária Afonso de Albuquerque (High School), Guarda
This work was carried out under the Flash Seminar held on the 15th and the 22nd of May 2015 at Escola Secundária Afonso de Albuquerque (High School), in Guarda. Students developed media content based on interviews with experts in various fields related to climate change and research on the subject.