Blow to the vineyards of Crete from climate change

The acceleration of the phenological stages of the vineyard and the increased pressure from pests and diseases, as a direct consequence of climate change, now constitute a structural problem for the Cretan vineyard, as evidenced by the official data of the Ministry of Rural Development and Foods, and specifically from the Regional Plant Protection and Phytosanitary Control Center of Heraklion, within the framework of the systematic monitoring of the Cretan vineyard for the crop seasons 2023 – 2025. The analysis of meteorological data from the last 17 years records a clear trend of decreasing rainfall and a gradual rise in average temperature throughout Crete, with more intense phenomena on the eastern side of the island. The hydrological year 2023–2024 is characterized by the driest conditions of the last decades, with an indicative example being Sitia, where the rainfall amount reached only 31% of the long-term average, creating conditions of intense water stress for the crops. ...