Guided visit to the experimental plots of the Life MEDACC project in the Muga and Ter watersheds

Life MEDACC project partners have organized a guided visit to the experimental plots that the project develops in the Muga and Ter watersheds.

Gabriel Borras, from the Catalan Office for Climate Change (OCCC), and project coordinator, gave an introduction on the project and objectives of the visit. Next, IRTA and Mas Badia Fundation researchers presented their results obtained in the framework of the Project. First of all, Carme Biel, IRTA’s researcher, showed their estimations on the irrigation needs for the main crops for the period 2002-2011. Following, Francesc Camps explained the experiments that are being conducted in corn fields and fruit trees, where through soil moisture sensors and daily weather data they generate detailed estimates of irrigation needs for these two crops, which are transmitted to the farmers through the GiroReg. Finally, attendees visited one of the corn fields where the evolution of soil moisture is monitored.

In the afternoon, attendees moved to the Alt Empordà, to the basin of the Muga, where CREAF is applying different management treatments in the holm oak forest of Requesens. The goal of the experimental plots is to see what type of management is more appropriate in our territory to make forest more resistant to the effects of climate change, particularly to the effects of droughts and forest fire risk.