"THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE THE WATER MANAGEMENT IN WOODY CROPS OF GREAT INTEREST TO SPAIN AND COUNTRIES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN. THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPORTANCE OF THE OLIVE AND THE GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR TABLE GRAPES, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE CHERRY GROWING IN NON-TRADITIONAL CROPPING AREAS HAS BEEN THE KEY IN CHOOSING THESE CROPS. THE PROJECT IS BASED ON THE NEED TO HAVE A PRECISE KNOWLEDGE OF CROP RESPONSE TO WATER DEFICIT, BOTH AGRONOMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL LEVEL, TO DEVELOP PRECISE REGULATED DEFICIT IRRIGATION (RDI) SCHEDULING.

THE SPANISH CLIMATIC DIVERSITY AND THE THREAT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WITH RISING TEMPERATURES AND OCCURRENCE OF WAVES OF HEAT AND COLD IN UNEXPECTED DATES, ARE A CONCERN FOR THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR. THE IMPACT OF THESE CHANGES ON THE LARGE POPULATION OF SPANISH SHEEP AND GOATS, WHICH ARE PRODUCED UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS AND WITH DIFFERENT PURPOSES, IS UNKNOWN.THIS PROJECT PRIORITIZED THE STUDY OF BIO-CLIMATIC EFFECTS ON DAIRY SHEEP AND GOATS, CONSIDERING THAT THEY ARE ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT AND ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE TO THE EFFECTS OF EXTREME HEAT AND COLD.