Adaptation Strategies Under Climate Change in Mediterranean Agriculture

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1391

Special Issue Editors


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Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, School of Agriculture, Quinta da Sra. De Mércules, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal
Interests: soil and water conservation; agro-forestry systems; water use in agriculture; hydrology; non-point source pollution at small basin scale

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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Polytechnic of Coimbra, College of Agriculture, 3045-601 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: irrigation systems; water use in agriculture; water resources; decision support systems
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change projections for the Mediterranean region predict a significant decrease in rainfall and an increase in temperatures, which could affect around 48% of cultivated areas; this is a faster rate than the global average. The consequences of these changes for food security and natural resources in this region could be very adverse. Anticipating the impacts of climate change by improving the efficiency of agricultural systems is a priority to maintain agricultural systems and acceptable productivity levels in increasingly adverse climatic conditions.

Transformational adaptations in order to face climate change, whether on a farm scale or a larger territorial scale, can be categorized as those requiring more or less time, effort, and system changes. So, the aim and scope of this Special Issue is to invite authors to submit manuscripts on studies or comprehensive reviews on adopting soil, water, and crop-based climate change adaptation practices.

For this Special Issue, manuscripts based on original studies using experimental devices or with the application of informatic tools such as simulation and optimization models or manuscripts with an exhaustive review of the state of knowledge on this topic will be included.

Dr. António Canatário-Duarte
Dr. José Manuel Monteiro Gonçalves
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • mediterranean agriculture
  • climate change
  • crop adaption strategies
  • water scarcity
  • increase soil conservation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 4170 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Potential of Mediterranean Edible Halophytes as Novel Crops: Ecological and Nutritional Insights from Tuscany’s Salt Marshes
by Tiziana Lombardi, Stefano Bedini, Andrea Bertacchi and Irene Ventura
Agronomy 2025, 15(3), 634; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15030634 - 2 Mar 2025
Viewed by 973
Abstract
Climate change and rising soil salinization pose significant challenges to agriculture and food security, particularly in coastal regions. Halophytes, salt-tolerant plants thriving in saline environments, offer promising solutions, as they show resilience to extreme conditions and provide nutritional and ecological benefits. This study [...] Read more.
Climate change and rising soil salinization pose significant challenges to agriculture and food security, particularly in coastal regions. Halophytes, salt-tolerant plants thriving in saline environments, offer promising solutions, as they show resilience to extreme conditions and provide nutritional and ecological benefits. This study investigates the potential of edible halophytes in the Mediterranean Basin, focusing on Tuscany’s salt marshes. A combination of literature reviews and field surveys identified 24 edible species among 60 recorded halophytes. These plants, mainly from the Amaranthaceae family, ranging from seasonal therophytes to perennial geophytes, display diverse life forms and adaptive strategies for saline habitats. The study highlights their nutritional and economic value, with edible parts such as leaves and shoots rich in essential minerals and antioxidants. Fieldwork and geospatial analyses revealed distinct patterns of species distribution, emphasizing the role of halophytes in maintaining ecosystem resilience and offering sustainable agricultural opportunities in degraded lands. By mapping their distribution and analyzing biodiversity indices, this research underscores the importance of conserving halophyte species as genetic resources and advancing their integration into agricultural systems. The findings provide a basis for developing innovative approaches to enhance food security in saline-affected areas. Full article
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