EGU 2025 Recap

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Several members of our Research Group traveled to Vienna to participate in the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly, Europe’s most prominent geosciences conference. This event brought together scientists from across the globe to share their research.

We were excited to contribute to this year’s program with a range of presentations and poster pitches. addressing the future of agriculture, water management, and ecosystem dynamics under climate change. From multicropping strategies and combining remote sensing data with modelling approaches for an improved crop yield forecasting to a sustainable intensification of the agriclture in the Danube Basin and the hidden impacts of snow droughts, our team covered a variety of nexus-related topics that lie at the heart of sustainable development.

Below, we share an overview of the research we presented:

Prof. Marianela Fader presented findings from a systematic literature review on sequential cropping in Europe. Sequential cropping means using the same land more than once within a single year to grow crops. The key question explored whether this practice can be considered agroecological. While common in many developing countries, sequential cropping remains underutilized in Europe outside the Mediterranean. Climate change will drastically increase the potential for the implementation of sequential cropping. Her analysis highlights that sequential crop systems can improve soil health, conserve water, boost biodiversity, and even enhance yields if they are smartly designed. The research identifies this practice as a promising path for sustainable agricultural intensification in Europe.

Christoph Jörges showcased a novel approach to seasonal crop yield forecasting by combining Sentinel-3 satellite data with the LPJmL vegetation model. His method integrates the near real-time vegetation indicator FAPAR into the physical crop model through machine learning and data assimilation techniques. Providing a more detailed picture of plant growth, this framework lays the groundwork for scalable early-warning systems for food security across Europe.

Elisabeth Probst explored how resource-efficient agricultural management could help close yield gaps in the Danube River Basin, where fertile lands are underutilized due to factors such as water constraints. Using the high-resolution PROMET model, she evaluated the effects of irrigation and fertilization on crop productivity, water use efficiency, and trade-offs with other sectors. Her work identifies hotspots of inefficient water use and areas with high potential for sustainable intensification, including priority areas for irrigation. These insights support more balanced water allocation and resilient agricultural planning in Europe’s most international river basin.

Mariangela Varela examined the impact of snow droughts (periods of low or no snow accumulation in the cold season) on plant productivity across the Northern Hemisphere. Using LPJmL, she links reduced snow water equivalent to soil moisture & summer gross primary productivity (GPP), revealing how winter snow shortages can impact vegetation in summer. Her findings shed light on the "legacy effects" of snow droughts on ecosystems - an increasingly relevant topic under global warming. The work also focuses on understanding if precipitation in spring and summer can compensate for the lack of snowmelt, to answer how impactful snow droughts can be.