Name Case Study Site: CSS2 - Portugal (PT)
Responsible partner: Universidade de Aveiro/Aveiro University. Case Study Site leader: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Case Study Site team: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Geographical description
The case study is located in the central littoral of Portugal (N 40° 26' 25.2'', W 8° 26' 6.9''), in the Bairrada Region (Figure 1).  The altitude varies from 50 to 200m and the climate of the study area is Mediterranean with the Atlantic oceanic influence, resulting in mild and wet winters and warm and dry summers. The average annual rainfall and temperature in the region for the period between 1973 and 2012 were 925 mm and 15.7 °C. Humic Cambisols are dominant in the area but there are also significant areas of Chromic Luvisols and Calcaric Cambisols.

LO Portugal

Main farming systems
Considered a Specified Region Producing Quality Wines (QWpsr), the dominant land cover are vineyards (≈6500ha). The remaining area is covered by maritime pine plantations, annual rain-fed crops such as corn, potato and pasture, permanent pastures, eucalypt plantations and, mixed (pine and eucalypt) forests.

Most of the farming systems are in general small to medium size and next to each other’s. Most of them follow the integrated production with minimum tillage and regulated application of fertilizers and phytosanitary treatments (in terms of products and maximum application rates). 

FS Portugal1 FS Portugal2 FS Portugal3 

 

Ongoing research and innovation actions
The ESP team from the University of Aveiro and CESAM (http://espteam.web.ua.pt/) has been developing several projects in the Bairrada wine-growing region. Among them, stands out the VITAQUA project (2010-2015), which studied the additional impacts of climate change in a catchment under intensive pressure from agricultural diffuse pollution. Also, several studies were conducted to assess the role of biochar in vineyards soils as an adaptation strategy to climate change

Relevant stakeholders in the area

  • Winegrowers
  • Regional Directorate for Agriculture and fisheries of the Center (DRAP- Centro

Bairrada wine station ((EVB)

  • Association for integrated production in Bairrada (API Bairrada)
  • Vine commission of Bairrada (CVB)