Agriculture
The agriculture sector is heavily dependent on weather and climate conditions. Changes in variables such as temperature and precipitation influence crop growth, yield and quality, as well as the development of crop diseases and pests. The climate also affects agricultural management and operations. Thus, climate information is crucial to support decision-making in agriculture, and to help the sector adapt to climate change and variability, maintaining the quality and quantity of crop production.
What we do
We work to provide usable and relevant climate services to a wide range of users in the agri-food industry, from farmers to big producers, distributors, upstream operators and policymakers. We work with crops like grapes, olives, durum wheat, cotton and corn, as well as the production of wine and other food products. We provide information at different timescales to support a number of decision-making processes.
Sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasts can help inform on the plantation and harvest dates, and make decisions regarding crop management (e.g. rotations, pruning), use of fertilisers and planning of stocks, labour and machinery. Decadal predictions and climate projections can help decide if new crop varieties should be developed, or if new water management and irrigation infrastructure might be needed in the future. They are also useful for setting policy directions and looking for new production areas.
Success Story
Prune, ripe, harvest: Seasonal predictions for the wine sector
Thanks to the efforts of our scientists and our communication and user engagement teams, the largest wine producers in Europe are able to use seasonal predictions to make better-informed decisions for crop management.
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Our partners and collaborators
Some of the companies and institutions that collaborate with us
