University of Patras

UNIVERSITY OF PATRAS (UPATRAS)

The Department of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Patras contributes to the advancement of climate-smart and sustainable agriculture through climate data analysis, greenhouse gas monitoring, and agro-climatic modelling. Its research focuses on understanding climate impacts on agricultural production, assessing future climate risks, and supporting sustainable water and crop management using high-resolution climate scenarios and statistical analysis. The Department also develops approaches for evaluating extreme weather events, estimating agricultural emissions, and improving resilience and sustainability in the agricultural sector.

The Department of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Patras, with its research staff, its scientific and technical personnel, and in collaboration with other Departments, Research Institutions, and International Organizations, contributes to the development of climate-smart, sustainable agriculture. This is achieved through the collection and detailed statistical analysis of past and present climate data at various temporal and spatial scales, aiming at accurately identifying changes and occurrences of extreme weather and climate phenomena, recording meteorological and climate parameters at the crop or farm level for the purpose of crop planning (planning at various levels, e.g., geographic location, type, variety), measuring greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., water vapor, CO2) from agricultural activities, and collecting and analyzing future climate parameter data. These data pertain to different scenarios and models. The analysis of future climate parameter forecasts is used in agro-climatic models that simulate agricultural production, in risk assessment for future natural disasters, and in the sustainable management of water resources.

The Department of Sustainable Agriculture envisions significantly contributing to the development of a sustainable agricultural production model by using new approaches such as:

• Comprehensive recording and full statistical processing (mean values and extreme events) of the current and past climate conditions and the response/sensitivity of agricultural production to climate changes.

• Generation of data for the future evolution of the climate, based on various scenarios, with as high spatial and temporal resolution as possible.

• Estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural activities.

Risk assessment based on historical data and future forecasts.