Ajdovščina, a municipality in the wind swept Vipava Valley, has started planting a 23-kilometre windbreak made of trees and shrubs to protect the fertile farmland in the valley floor, a key part of the region's efforts to adapt to climate change.

The plan is to plant 64,000 trees and almost 100,000 shrubs. This will not only protect the land from erosion, it will also help retain soil moisture and improve soil fertility, according to the municipality.

Farmers hope the windbreak will increase crop yields by 20-30%, a figure based on data from a pilot project that was under way between 2016 and 2021, according to the municipality.

"This is a sustainable measure that will improve the quality of life in Vipava Valley and contribute to regional development for generations to come," said Janez Furlan, the head of the municipality's economic development department.

Farming a major industry

The valley is a technological powerhouse but farming remains a major economic activity. While best known for wine production, the region is also a major producer of fruit, especially peaches.

However, much like in the rest of Slovenia climate change has made farming difficult and increased the intensity of extreme weather.

The valley has alternately been hit by drought, frost and severe hail in the last several years, decimating crop yields.

Adaptation inevitable

The results of an EU-funded project that was under way between 2016 and 2021 showed that the region needs to adapt to climate change if agriculture is to survive.

The main takeout of the project was that irrigation is essential. Construction of the largest irrigation system in the country, spanning 1,900 hectares, is currently under way.

Farmers have also experimented with more exotic crops such as sweet potato, watermelon and different types of squash, but recent reports suggest they have been slow to plant the new crops after pilot trials ended.

The green windbreak is part of this adaptation strategy. Such windbreaks had been common in the past but as agriculture became more intensive, they began to disappear.

"I'm proud we've managed to design another project that aims to preserve and develop agriculture. I'm convinced our descendants will be grateful for us having acted prudently," Ajdovščina Mayor Tadej Beočanin said as he planted the first windbreak trees on 10 December alongside Agriculture Minister Mateja Čalušić.

The windbreak is due to be completed in the first half of 2025, but it will take several years before its full impact is felt.