“After the removal of the waters, it was clearly seen that the soils received transported sediments of a small thickness (<15-20 cm) of silt-clay texture and there will be no problem in their processing and cultivation in the next growing season. This was seen in many cases where farmers carry out operations such as plowing and cultivator, without any problem."

These are pointed out in their report by professors Nikos Danalatos and Kyriakos Giannoulis, faculty members of the University of Thessaly Agriculture Laboratory after field autopsies and soil sampling that took place on September 20 and 21, and covered about 1.2 million hectares of representative land. of the Thessalian field, which received the onslaught of bad weather Daniel.

An exception according to the scientists, are lands at the edge of fields where the streams found an obstacle to their flow, e.g. on the national road (Moschochori, Nea Lefki -Kousbasaniotis, etc.), as well as in several cases where the flow was quite turbulent in the flood plain of Enipea (Evdrio) and Pinios (Pineias, Keramidi, Vlochos, etc.) and at distances of up to 300 meters from the river/river beds.

Some small fields were completely in the flood plain covered with a thick layer of mud where the torrents had increased their bed (Perivoli, N. Karyes, N. Lefki). These lands are scattered in many areas (e.g. Ampelia Farsalon, Vrysia, Stavros, Gefiria, in the area of ​​Kedros and more specifically Kaledoni, etc.). It is estimated that their total area does not exceed 18,000 acres of the total flooded lands (about 2% of the total). Even in these cases, however, the sediment rarely exceeds 50 cm in thickness, so even in these cases the soils will be fully suitable for cultivation after deep plowing and integration with the substrate.

The above confirms according to the report, to the best of our initial estimates, the researchers emphasize, that no land will be canceled by the floods. The autopsy does not include several areas affected by the torrents in Pyli, Mouzaki, a Trikala tributary and the Gyrtoni – Makrychorio – Sykouri area which has some streams that end up in Pinios.

Also, the report points out that several areas were still flooded (Vlochos, Keramidi, Metamorfosi, etc.) on the day of the autopsy. Obviously, the soil will take a long time to come into the field and there is no possibility to prepare for the cultivation and sowing of winter grains and pulses. However, it is considered almost certain that these soils will also be suitable – in terms of available materials – in the coming growing season to receive spring crops, the professors of the University of Thessaly state.

Unfortunately, they estimate that large areas that are flooded in the eastern Thessalian plain (Niki, Armenio, Sotirio, Stefanovikio, etc.) will take a long time to be in a condition to accept any treatment. The volume of water contained within the embankment is too large in relation to the runoff rate, unless effective dewatering solutions are implemented. On the contrary, the waters outside the embankment (T2) are gradually receding through infiltration and evaporation, and it appears that these soils will be able to be cultivated in the next growing season with spring crops.

Several sloping soils in the “revenia” area (Zappio, N. Karyes, Chalkiades, etc.) show examples of moderate surface layered erosion, and in several cases intense rill erosion was evident throughout the slope (rill erosion). In very few cases, unfortunately, gully erosion was observed and photographed, mainly in soils on marly substrates. To remind once again, they note that the soil lost from these sloping lands is not replaced and leads even faster to complete degradation and desertification of these already degraded lands. As a Laboratory, they add, we have often referred (as early as 1996) to the ways of managing these lands in the context of the effects of climate change.

Regarding crops, the two professors of the University of Thessaly emphasize:

  • Much of the cotton crop has been completely destroyed. Plant individuals have a characteristic brown color and are easily identifiable by ground or satellite imagery. These crops must be fully compensated.
  • Several fields have cotton that is heavily affected but not completely destroyed. Nuts have been lost at the base of the stem, there is regrowth and pix will be needed, and given the upcoming bad weather conditions will be very difficult to impossible to harvest in several cases. Therefore we consider that part of the product can be harvested but with degraded quantity and quality.
  • In a few cases, a product can be harvested with a small percentage of loss.
  • Large areas of corn are shown to be harvestable. Apparently the corn had time to ripen in late August before the storm. Thus, in cases where the water did not cover the fruit (rocket), it seems that the product will be possible to harvest when the threshing machines can enter the field. However, due to the high risk of aflatoxins, no production should be harvested without strict sampling. In case of infestation the crop must be destroyed and fully compensated or used for energy production.
  • In many cotton fields there is still drip irrigation equipment that farmers did not have time to remove. In many fields the rushing waters carried away part or all of this equipment, and destroyed it, while in some cases the force of the water carried away and overturned even irrigation reels, farm cars, etc.
  • Perennial crops (almonds, walnuts, etc.) in the lands covered by the waters of Karla will not withstand the lack of oxygen availability in the rhizosphere for much longer and will be destroyed. Obviously the farmers should be compensated not only for this year’s crop but also for the new plant material and the years it will be in full production. The same applies to the Kiwis of the Pinios delta region that was affected.

In conclusion, the two scientists emphasize that almost all of the land within the floodplain of Pinios and its tributaries is cultivated with annual species, but also in several cases with perennial crops, e.g. vines, stone fruits, etc. The need to expand the cultivation of fertile lands is understandable, but especially in the case of growing perennial crops, farmers must be aware of the risk of destruction of their crops when they are located within the above geomorphological zone (flood plain).

All drainage channels must be cleaned as soon as possible of transportable materials, road materials, vegetation and other obstacles (logs, garbage, etc.) so that they are at 100% of their capacity before the arrival of the November-December rains.

Finally, it should be noted that the bed of Pinios has in most places been narrowed to a dangerous extent and projects should be carried out to open and deepen the bed. The same applies to the tributaries of Pinios and especially Enipeos and its streams.

Speaking to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, Mr. Danalatos concludes by stressing: “The Agriculture Laboratory of the University of Thessaly expresses its full support to the farmers and breeders of Thessaly affected by the catastrophic “Daniel”. The Laboratory is at the disposal of our fellow citizens for any form of information-updating in the context of the Laboratory’s knowledge subjects, free of charge”.