A European effort in Cyprus planted thousands of new trees

Cyprus is making progress in combating desertification, over 3,000 aromatic, deep-rooted plants have already been planted in areas at risk. At a press conference on Tuesday to launch the second year of the program, Environment Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou stated that this initiative is an aspect of the LIFE-AgrOassis European project.

By 2026, the project, which is being supervised by the Agricultural Research Institute and co-financed by the European Union, aims to create hedgerows with some 18,000 plants, totalling 30 kilometres in length. The purpose of planting these hedgerows around arable land is to increase agricultural resilience and reduce the effects of desertification.

Theodosiou, who spoke at the ceremony, emphasised the project's importance in fighting the increasing issues caused by climate change. "Immediate action and practical measures to reduce the effects of the climate crisis are imperative", she said. Cyprus is going through desertification, which is being made worse by climate change, the Commissioner said.

Local species including azaroles, pistacia terebinthus, and olive and carob trees make up the hedgerows, which are essential for maintaining moisture, protecting the soil, and improving the growing conditions for trees. Selecting local species that can withstand drought also guarantees increased plant viability and less irrigation.

Using a unique planting method created under the scientific direction of the KES Research Centre is one of the project's distinctive features. This technique, which is being tested for the first time in Europe, improves plant drought resistance while lowering the amount of irrigation needed for agricultural land.

The benefits of this strategy were explained in detail by Demetris Sarris, the project's scientific manager and director of the KES Research Centre. By promoting important root growth within 90 days, the Deep Root Training Tubes approach increases the plants' resistance to dry environments. With plans to create a further 4,000 seedlings next year, the Cyprus Department of Forests and the KES Research Centre have already generated 7,000 seedlings using this method.

According to Sarris, the hedgerows significantly lower soil conditions, in places where the technique has been used, a drop of up to 30 degrees has been seen.

As the LIFE-AgrOassis project enters its second year, it is an important step in protecting Cyprus' agricultural lands and reducing the negative impacts of climate change and desertification.