Crops found in the region of Mount Etna
Sicily has long been noted for its fertile soil due to the volcanic eruptions in the past and present. The local agriculture is also helped by the pleasant climate of the island. The main agricultural products are:
Sicily is the third largest wine producer in Italy.
- Wheat
- Oranges
- Lemons
- Tomatoes
- Olives
- Artichokes
- Almonds
- Grapes
- Pistachios
- Wine
Sicily is the third largest wine producer in Italy.
Effects of ash on agriculture
Ash fall can have serious detrimental effects on agricultural crops and livestock depending mainly on ash thickness, the type and growing condition of a crop, the presence of soluble fluoride on the ash, and timing and intensity of subsequent rainfall. Fluorine poisoning and death can occur in livestock that graze on ash-covered grass if fluoride is present; it may be advisable to sample and analyze ash or ash-coated vegetation to determine whether this potential hazard exists for livestock in areas covered with ash as thin as 1 mm. Shortages in feed due to ash burial and access to quality water after an ash fall can also lead to death of livestock.
Survival of agricultural crops and pasture is often severely limited when ash thickness is greater than 10-15 cm (4-6 in). Predicting the potential crop losses from ash fall, however, is difficult and usually exaggerated because of the great variety of environmental and plant conditions that exist in tropical and temperate areas during and after ash fall of varying thickness.
Produce was ready to be harvested during the course of the 3 month eruption in March 2013. Local produce was still sold in markets, but a covering of ash had to be washed off. This was not an easy task as the ash adhered to the fruit to such an extent that a simple rinse under a hose would not remove it.
Grapes needed to be washed individually before consumption to avoid ingesting fine ash. This effectively ruined the grape crop economically, even though the fruit itself was not damaged. This was the case for citrus fruit.
In some cases the skin of the fruit was reportedly pitted, however it was the adherence of the ash to the skins that again contributed much to the economic ruin of the fruit. Also, the usual mechanical processing of the fruit was stopped because the abrasive nature ash would have damaged machinery. Furthermore oranges destined for fruit juice production could not be used, as the inclusion of skin/peel in the manufacturing of juice was not possible with the coating of ash that was difficult to economically remove. Half of the orange crop in the province of Catania was destroyed by ashfall. Most of the orange crop received less than 3 mm of ash.
Italy’s federation of farmers also estimated about 80 percent loss of vegetables (unspecified sorts, but mostly leafy crops) over both the immediate area around Etna (the province of Catania) and in the neighbouring province of Siracusa. Seventy-five percent of agricultural jobs were also lost as produce could not be harvested. Total estimated cost to the region was 140 million euros.
The 2002 eruption of Mount Etna, Italy, resulted a light ash fall in Catania (3 mm). The light dusting of ash nevertheless adhered to the skin of citrus, which rendered fruit unfit for juice production because it was not economically feasible to separately clean each fruit before processing.
The weight of ash on leaves affects plant survival, increases harvesting costs, and reduces yield. Lucerne and pea crops, regardless of stage of growth, would either fail or have poor yields from ash falls of 10 mm (0.4 in) or greater. These plants have abundant delicate leaves and stems which are easily damaged by ash, which can reduce the rate of photosynthesis and make the crop susceptible to lodging.
Survival of agricultural crops and pasture is often severely limited when ash thickness is greater than 10-15 cm (4-6 in). Predicting the potential crop losses from ash fall, however, is difficult and usually exaggerated because of the great variety of environmental and plant conditions that exist in tropical and temperate areas during and after ash fall of varying thickness.
Produce was ready to be harvested during the course of the 3 month eruption in March 2013. Local produce was still sold in markets, but a covering of ash had to be washed off. This was not an easy task as the ash adhered to the fruit to such an extent that a simple rinse under a hose would not remove it.
Grapes needed to be washed individually before consumption to avoid ingesting fine ash. This effectively ruined the grape crop economically, even though the fruit itself was not damaged. This was the case for citrus fruit.
In some cases the skin of the fruit was reportedly pitted, however it was the adherence of the ash to the skins that again contributed much to the economic ruin of the fruit. Also, the usual mechanical processing of the fruit was stopped because the abrasive nature ash would have damaged machinery. Furthermore oranges destined for fruit juice production could not be used, as the inclusion of skin/peel in the manufacturing of juice was not possible with the coating of ash that was difficult to economically remove. Half of the orange crop in the province of Catania was destroyed by ashfall. Most of the orange crop received less than 3 mm of ash.
Italy’s federation of farmers also estimated about 80 percent loss of vegetables (unspecified sorts, but mostly leafy crops) over both the immediate area around Etna (the province of Catania) and in the neighbouring province of Siracusa. Seventy-five percent of agricultural jobs were also lost as produce could not be harvested. Total estimated cost to the region was 140 million euros.
The 2002 eruption of Mount Etna, Italy, resulted a light ash fall in Catania (3 mm). The light dusting of ash nevertheless adhered to the skin of citrus, which rendered fruit unfit for juice production because it was not economically feasible to separately clean each fruit before processing.
The weight of ash on leaves affects plant survival, increases harvesting costs, and reduces yield. Lucerne and pea crops, regardless of stage of growth, would either fail or have poor yields from ash falls of 10 mm (0.4 in) or greater. These plants have abundant delicate leaves and stems which are easily damaged by ash, which can reduce the rate of photosynthesis and make the crop susceptible to lodging.
Where there is a significant ash fall, clean water will likely be in short supply. Natural water sources and man-made ponds may be temporarily contaminated by ash, and water-pumping equipment can be damaged by the abrasive ash. Restoring quality water supplies for livestock is typically a high priority if livestock are to stay on land affected by ash fall.