Climatic Changes—A Challenge for the Bulgarian Farmers

Abstract

Serious economic damages in many regions of the world were caused by the changes in agroclimatic resources during the last 2–3 decades. The Balkan Peninsula is much affected by the temperatures rising, changes in the distribution of precipitation, and the increasing frequency of extreme events—basically, droughts and frosts. Bulgarian agriculture is developed under various agrometeorological conditions. The climate of the country is characterized by the atmosphere and soil moisture deficit in the time of active crop vegetation and yield formation. The aim of this research is to assess the changes in agrometeorological conditions for the growth of the main grain crops and the possibilities for reaction through agro-technologies. Furthermore, the features of contemporary varieties and hybrids of spring and autumn cereals will be taken into account. The next important factor is the specific requirements for hydro-thermal conditions at different phenological phases of agricultural crop development, i.e., sums of the temperatures and precipitations. Agro-technologies react to tendencies in changing agrometeorological conditions. For the adaptation of agro-technologies, the maximum use of natural agroclimatic resources should be included in activities for overcoming unfavorable conditions, as well as the increased frequency of extreme events. A detailed assessment of the agrometeorological conditions is necessary to choose the suitable agro-technology activity. The analysis of the main meteorological elements—temperatures, precipitations, air humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation for thirty years (1986–2015) was used to assess the changes in agrometeorological conditions on agricultural lands in Bulgaria. Appropriate agro-technical activities for growing the main grain crops are proposed in accordance with the observed changes.

Social Networks – A Tool for Cooperation of Bulgarian Agricultural Producers

“…The agricultural sector in Bulgaria has adapted to the new economic and social conditions after the accession of the country to the European union. This adaptation has several shortcomings underlined by Bulgarian researchers, such as the production focused of materials with low value (Nikolova, 2013), the levels of sustainability of the sector (Bachev, et al, 2019), its financial stability (Stoyancheva, et al, 2023) and ecological viability (Georgieva, et al, 2022). A number of these issues can be solved by cooperation among producers that can promote the introduction of a longer value chain leading to better economic results for all participants and the sector as a whole.…”

“…Social media as a tool for crowdsourcing can be used by different stakeholders to share crucial information (Clark, et al, 2023) and in those cases a cooperation among social actors can be built. The negative effects of social media on traditional network-building have also been explored by some authors, that put forward concerns about the differentiation of goals between social media platforms and their userbase, that can lead to degradation of social cohesion (González-Bailón, et al, 2023). Although being critical, those researchers can't deny that social media platforms are granting opportunities that would be absent without them.…”

Projecting Bioclimatic Change over the South-Eastern European Agricultural and Natural Areas via Ultrahigh-Resolution Analysis of the de Martonne Index

“…Projections on the climate evolution of PSEEu and the prevailing greater region's xerothermic regime highlight its susceptibility to CC with impacts on natural vegetation and rural areas [14,15]. The impacts of CC on natural systems commonly refer to the increased vulnerability of forest species owing to intensified aridisation and higher fire risks [16,17], tree growth limitation and defoliation, forest withering and dieback [18][19][20], degradation of forest and grassland ecosystems [21], biodiversity decline [22] and the more intensified risk of biological invasions (e.g., of alien plant species and invasive insects) [23,24].…”

Exploring the Genotype-Dependent Toolbox of Wheat under Drought Stress

“…In recent decades, the frequency and severity of drought events have increased, particularly in Central and Southern Europe, including Bulgaria [3][4][5]. The increase in summer temperatures by up to 2.4 • C in combination with dry spells has led to prolonged drought periods, which worsen the agrometeorological conditions in the initial stages of the development of winter crops, such as wheat [6]. Improving our understanding of the complex mechanisms behind plant drought responses and survival requires extensive research efforts because drought outcomes are affected by various external and internal factors, such as duration and severity of water loss [7], the age and stage of development during drought exposure [8], and the affected organ and cell types [9].…”