Sustainable Crop Production

Crop production systems are one of the cornerstones of MED, and research is being conducted on crops such as olives, vines, broad-acre crops, and horticultural crops including fruits, all with the perspective of contributing to Sustainable Crop Production (SCP). In this context, MED's work on these crops encompasses a range of subjects including genetic selection, novel multiplication techniques, crop management and harvesting, post-harvest processing and transformation, and technologies such as precision agriculture.

This also includes areas of sustainable soil management based on the principles of Conservation Agriculture, water management including both efficient irrigation and green water use, and the efficient and responsible use of other external inputs such as agrochemicals and energy.

In the SCP context, the main research questions are:

1) breeding/selection of cultivars that respond to the challenges of climate change, changes in production patterns (e.g., olives), and the need to reduce agrochemical inputs while maintaining and improving productivity and quality;

2) changing/adapting crop management systems to a) improve resource use efficiency (e.g., water, energy), b) reduce production costs, and c) lower the environmental footprint (reduce GHG emissions and increase carbon sequestration) through sustainable management of soil, water, and waste products;

3) improving harvest processes and post-harvest processing and transformation, including waste or by-products, thus adding value to all end products.