The working meeting focused on the results obtained from the analyses conducted by the project partner teams (Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski," University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences – Vienna (BOKU), and Comenius University – Bratislava), as well as the work plan for the final phase of the project.
Dr. Gera (Comenius University) outlined methodological approaches for assessing statistical relationships between crop yields and meteorological variables, with a focus on the Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) across various time scales.
The Bulgarian team presented a comparative analysis of drought conditions in Austria, Slovakia, and Bulgaria using the Palfai Drought Index (PaDI). While Austria and Slovakia showed similar drought climates, extreme droughts were more frequent in Slovakia. Bulgaria emerged as the most drought-prone, though no country recorded years of extreme drought.
The Austrian team calculated FAO agroclimatic indicators to assess yield responses to climatic variability. Yield dependencies on meteorological factors were similar in Austria and Slovakia. In contrast, Bulgaria showed greater variability, with alternating dry and wet periods exerting a stronger impact on yields.
