Expert: We have a garden and we are turning it into a desert

After a hot and dry summer with record heatwaves and droughts, leading to water shortages in several regions, Bulgaria is now entering the autumn season with low soil moisture levels. This creates a risk for the country's main crop – wheat. At the same time, forecasts of heavy rainfall raise another problem - the dried soil has difficulty absorbing water, which increases the risk of flooding. This is stated in the analysis for "Klimateka" by agronomist Roman Rachkov and Valentin Simeonov, a doctor of quantum electronics from the Faculty of Physics at Sofia University. The soil is significantly drier than normal in almost all of Southeastern Europe, including Bulgaria and Greece, as well as Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, northern France, and England. The assessment of soil moisture refers to the layer between 28 and 100 cm below the surface. The water content in this horizon is critical for the growth and yield of many agricultural crops and reflects the meteorological ...