Conference, soil DNA in the lab, an empty reservoir, and the island’s first organic farmer – our week in Cyprus

As part of the ECO-READY project, our PROBIO Living Lab spent an intensive week in Cyprus this May. We started at an international conference in Limassol, where we discussed biodiversity, food security, and strategies for coping with extreme agricultural scenarios.

Next came a hands-on workshop: soil DNA screening using eDNA technologies. We focused on proper DNA extraction from soil – even small sampling or extraction errors can distort results about the presence of microorganisms, fungi, or insects. The Limassol lab has developed special protocols to prevent such issues.

💡 The workshop inspired us to think more deeply about how soil microbiome knowledge can be used in everyday farming. We want to find ways to offer farmers simple tools to monitor and improve microbial soil health – especially in the context of organic farming, plant diseases, and climate extremes.

The week concluded with a visit to Andreas, the first organic farmer in Cyprus. Since 2005, he has grown durum wheat, pitaya (dragon fruit), olives, tomatoes, and zucchinis.

He usually sows wheat in November and used to harvest in June. Now, it’s already ready in May – but this year, everything is different: 

• Night frosts in March, with some areas hitting -15°C, and daytime temperatures over 30°C 

• Low and poorly distributed rainfall 

• Wheat across the island is stunted (15–20 cm tall), with halted growth and mostly empty ears

💧 When we asked Andreas when his rainwater reservoir was last full, he started counting on his fingers. We thought he was counting weeks. Maybe months. But it had actually been years. The last time the reservoir filled was four years ago.

🌍 These extreme situations are exactly what ECO-READY is working to address – through data sharing, scenario planning, and supporting farmer adaptation across Europe.