Monitoring Climate Risks in Orchards: From Weather Forecasts to Optimal Field Decisions
Climate change, which has become increasingly pronounced in recent years, is presenting the fruit-growing sector with ever more complex challenges. Producers must maintain high-quality yields in an environment where drought, late spring frosts, and pressure from diseases and pests are becoming increasingly difficult to predict. For example, during the summer of 2025, approximately 80% of Moldova’s territory received only 35–70% of the normal seasonal precipitation, according to hydrometeorological data. Globally, El Niño, a phenomenon associated with the warming of surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, affects temperatures and precipitation patterns, with impacts varying from one region to another.
Under these circumstances, the sustainability of fruit production increasingly depends on farmers’ ability to anticipate risks and make informed decisions based on relevant data. Weather stations, soil moisture sensors, and digital monitoring systems provide valuable information that can support efficient water management, the planning of crop protection treatments, and the reduction of production losses. However, the effectiveness of these technologies depends not only on the accuracy of the measurements but also on how the information is interpreted and applied in the field.
For Vitalie Bostan, an agronomy consultant at VelfructPrim SRL, monitoring should complement field observations and professional experience rather than replace them.
“The weather station helps me monitor rainfall, temperature, and wind conditions, including assessing whether conditions are suitable for applying crop protection treatments in orchards. However, we cannot rely exclusively on what a device tells us. We make our decisions in the orchard, based on what we observe and the experience we have gained over time. Monitoring is important, but we need to know how to interpret the data and relate it to the actual conditions in the orchard,” Bostan explains.
A similar view is shared by Sergiu Smocinschi, an agronomist and agricultural digitalisation expert at Pessl Instruments Austria, who emphasises the importance of considering the specific characteristics of each farm when designing a monitoring system.
“A weather station should be installed in the area most exposed to risks, whether these involve frost, diseases, or other difficult-to-predict conditions. Orchards are often located on sloping terrain, where conditions can vary from one plot to another. That is why we work with farmers to identify the most suitable location, ensuring that the collected data is representative of the areas being monitored. At the same time, using this information does not necessarily require specialised knowledge, although some initial training is needed. Usually, one or two hours are enough to explain what the meteorological parameters mean and how they can be used to plan field operations. Farmers must then continuously relate this information to actual orchard conditions and their production objectives,” the expert explains.
One of the most important applications of monitoring technology is water management. In the orchard, agronomist Vitalie Bostan also uses sensors installed at a depth of approximately 30–40 centimetres, within the root zone, to determine whether irrigation is necessary. This means that irrigation decisions are based not only on the plants’ appearance or general estimates but also on relevant information about soil moisture levels.
“We have installed sensors in the root zone and check them regularly. They tell us whether the soil still contains sufficient moisture or whether we need to irrigate. We do not simply apply water based on guesswork; instead, we rely on the indicators provided by the sensors installed in the field. As water resources become increasingly important, we need to pay close attention both to how much water we use and when we apply it,” Bostan emphasises.
A similar approach is adopted by Dumitru Mihov, a fruit producer and agronomist at Terra Vitis SRL, who highlights the role of sensors in vineyard management. Given the droughts experienced in recent years, he explains, maintaining the right balance in water application is essential, as plants can be affected by both insufficient and excessive irrigation.
“Access to water is an issue we can no longer afford to take lightly. If we apply too much water, we affect the soil and, consequently, the plant’s normal functioning. If we provide too little, we cannot meet the quality requirements of today’s buyers. That is why sensors installed in the soil at depths of 30 and 60 centimetres help us adjust irrigation accurately according to actual conditions. In years when drought is becoming an increasingly serious challenge, this information is essential for using water efficiently and avoiding unnecessary irrigation,” Mihov explains.
Beyond water management, weather station monitoring also contributes to crop protection, as changes in temperature and humidity influence the development of certain diseases and pests. For producers, understanding these parameters is essential for determining the most appropriate time to intervene in their plantations.
“As the climate has changed in recent years, pests that were previously uncommon in our region, such as thrips and scale insects, have become increasingly important in table grape production. In the past, we paid little attention to them. Now, with the help of weather stations, we can take preventive measures and apply treatments at the optimal time. In addition to reducing pesticide use, weather station data allow us to make crop protection treatments much more effective,” Mihov says.
Beyond improving the effectiveness of crop protection treatments, the use of meteorological data can also help producers comply with food safety and quality requirements for fruit intended for export. Sergiu Smocinschi stresses the importance of integrating the collected information into digital analysis and forecasting tools.
“Meteorological data can be combined with disease forecasting models and other digital solutions that help producers plan field operations and crop protection treatments. When farmers understand the conditions that favour the development of a particular disease, they can determine the most appropriate time to intervene. The aim is to use plant protection products as efficiently as possible, avoid unnecessary expenses, and produce fruit with pesticide residues kept as low as possible. This is particularly important for production certification and access to the European Union market, including international retail chains. Depending on the specific characteristics of each farm, we train producers to use the information either for irrigation management or for disease prevention and the optimisation of crop protection treatments,” Sergiu Smocinschi explains.
The Future of Fruit Growing Lies in Digitalisation
“I hope orchards will become increasingly digitalised. Pheromone traps equipped with cameras and remote monitoring systems are already being introduced, eliminating the need to go into the orchard and physically count insects, as the information is sent directly to your phone. Soil sensors have also been designed to send data to your phone and trigger an alert when irrigation becomes essential. I believe that the faster we digitalise our orchards, the better equipped we will be to cope with climate change while saving water and reducing the use of crop protection products,” Bostan says.
In this context, the wider adoption of monitoring technologies must also be considered in terms of their affordability and accessibility for farms of different sizes. Investing in a privately owned weather station is not necessarily economically viable for every farmer, and the benefits depend on the cultivated area and the extent to which the collected data is used in day-to-day operations.
“All agricultural producers need measured meteorological data, but not all of them need their own weather station. For a farm of one or two hectares, recovering the investment may take up to ten years, whereas for a farm of 10–20 hectares, the investment could pay for itself in the very first year. However, we need to distinguish between simply consulting weather data and using it in combination with other digital solutions. If farmers use this information for disease forecasting, harvest planning, organising field operations, and managing resources, the economic benefits can be considerably greater,” Smocinschi concludes.
This article is part of a series of materials developed under the PROGRESS project, funded by the German Government and implemented by a consortium of organisations led by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in partnership with EBA Moldova, IEF, OECD, and RECC.