* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    The Emmys are back: Viewership soars to highest numbers in 4 years – yahoo.com

    The Emmys Return with a Bang: Viewership Hits a 4-Year High

    From Spinal Tap II to Ed Sheeran : your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead – The Guardian

    Fall’s Hottest Ski Films Are Going on Tour—Here’s the List – yahoo.com

    Experience the Thrill: Fall’s Hottest Ski Films Hit the Road-Don’t Miss the Tour!

    Ryan Reynolds reveals he called a journalist who said mean things about John Candy – yahoo.com

    Ryan Reynolds Reveals the Moment He Stood Up to a Journalist Who Insulted John Candy

    Entertainment Community Fund Launches Program Supporting Entrepreneurs – Playbill

    Entertainment Community Fund Unveils Exciting New Program to Empower Entrepreneurs

    Behind the turntables: DJ Johnny Kage’s story of perseverance – yahoo.com

    Behind the Turntables: DJ Johnny Kage’s Inspiring Journey of Perseverance

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Will New Big Technology Engagements Reshape Innodata’s Growth Path? – Yahoo Finance

    Could New Major Tech Partnerships Propel Innodata to Unprecedented Growth?

    Unlocking AI Success: How People, Process, and Technology Form the Ultimate Triangle

    Billion-dollar coffins? New technology could make oceans transparent and Aukus submarines vulnerable – The Guardian

    Billion-Dollar Coffins? How New Technology Could Make Oceans Transparent and Expose Submarines

    What if artificial intelligence is just a “normal” technology? – The Economist

    What if artificial intelligence is just a “normal” technology? – The Economist

    Lincoln Trail College Receives $100,000 Grant from Marathon Petroleum Corporation for Technology Center – wwbl.com

    Lincoln Trail College Lands $100,000 Grant from Marathon Petroleum to Elevate Technology Center

    Aston Martin to integrate Pirelli’s cyber tyre technology in future models – Just Auto

    Aston Martin to Revolutionize Future Models with Pirelli’s Cutting-Edge Cyber Tyre Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    The Emmys are back: Viewership soars to highest numbers in 4 years – yahoo.com

    The Emmys Return with a Bang: Viewership Hits a 4-Year High

    From Spinal Tap II to Ed Sheeran : your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead – The Guardian

    Fall’s Hottest Ski Films Are Going on Tour—Here’s the List – yahoo.com

    Experience the Thrill: Fall’s Hottest Ski Films Hit the Road-Don’t Miss the Tour!

    Ryan Reynolds reveals he called a journalist who said mean things about John Candy – yahoo.com

    Ryan Reynolds Reveals the Moment He Stood Up to a Journalist Who Insulted John Candy

    Entertainment Community Fund Launches Program Supporting Entrepreneurs – Playbill

    Entertainment Community Fund Unveils Exciting New Program to Empower Entrepreneurs

    Behind the turntables: DJ Johnny Kage’s story of perseverance – yahoo.com

    Behind the Turntables: DJ Johnny Kage’s Inspiring Journey of Perseverance

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Will New Big Technology Engagements Reshape Innodata’s Growth Path? – Yahoo Finance

    Could New Major Tech Partnerships Propel Innodata to Unprecedented Growth?

    Unlocking AI Success: How People, Process, and Technology Form the Ultimate Triangle

    Billion-dollar coffins? New technology could make oceans transparent and Aukus submarines vulnerable – The Guardian

    Billion-Dollar Coffins? How New Technology Could Make Oceans Transparent and Expose Submarines

    What if artificial intelligence is just a “normal” technology? – The Economist

    What if artificial intelligence is just a “normal” technology? – The Economist

    Lincoln Trail College Receives $100,000 Grant from Marathon Petroleum Corporation for Technology Center – wwbl.com

    Lincoln Trail College Lands $100,000 Grant from Marathon Petroleum to Elevate Technology Center

    Aston Martin to integrate Pirelli’s cyber tyre technology in future models – Just Auto

    Aston Martin to Revolutionize Future Models with Pirelli’s Cutting-Edge Cyber Tyre Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Provence’s iconic lavender fields may soon look very different

June 20, 2023
in Science
Provence’s iconic lavender fields may soon look very different
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Travel

The postcard image that lights up our social media feeds each summer must change to survive the dual threat of disease and climate change.

ByChrissie McClatchie

Published June 19, 2023

• 7 min read

Every summer, millions of travelers venture to the sun-drenched French region of Provence. One of its biggest draws? Symmetrical fields of sweet-scented, violet-hued lavender.  Images of them light up social media feeds come late June to July. But if this aromatic plant—and everything it represents in French culture—is to thrive in the future, this postcard backdrop needs to change.

Due to high temperatures, low rains, and pest infestations, the $55 million lavender industry is nearing a breaking point. To protect it and its role in French culture, local growers, scientists, and business owners have come together to create the Fonds de Dotation Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Lavandes en Provence (Fonds SPLP), an endowment that is funding pollinator protection, planting pest-resistant hybrids, and adding irrigation systems.

For visitors, the most tangible change will be how the lavender fields look. The future is less manicured, with other blooming flora growing alongside the violet plants. This will help nurse the soil back to health, providing nourishment to the lavender plants and increasing its carbon store. 

“It’s a changing vision of what lavender is,” says Justine Humbert, engineer and sustainable sourcing manager at Provence-headquartered beauty brand L’Occitane en Provence.

Here’s how visitors can experience these blooms responsibly.

An emblematic image

Lavender became a commercial crop in France as the perfume industry blossomed in the 19th century in Grasse, located in Provence’s Alpine region. Today, around 1,700 producers throughout Provence cultivate approximately 62,000 acres of two varieties of the plant: lavender (used in perfume and cosmetics), and lavandin, a longer-stemmed hybrid that scents household products. 

But climate change is bringing or accelerating a range of problems for lavender farmers. Hotter summers are increasing the insect population, including destructive Cixiidae, mini leafhoppers related to the cicada. They devastate crops, both by eating plants and transmitting a disease called stolbur phytoplasma, first discovered in 1970. It disfigures the plants and cuts their typical lifespan from 10 years to just three or four. 

(How to plan an artlovers’ road trip through Provence.)

The climate crisis brings other effects, too. “Drought is impacting lavender crops,” says Humbert. “Even if [lavender] is adapted to difficult territories, it needs a minimum of water.” 

A new vision

Founded in 2012, Fonds SPLP helped develop two new varieties of dieback-resistant lavender, called MILA 2 and ETERNELLE 2. “Both are currently in the testing stage with producers,” says Charlotte Bringer-Guerin, coordinator at the Fonds SPLP.

In addition, agroecology—planting cover crops between the rows of lavender—is emerging as a way to protect the prized blooms. “Plant covers have the advantage of retaining humidity and micro-acclimatizing the plots to make them more resilient,” says Humbert. Other plants, including tree nuts, legumes, and grains, act as barriers between the lavender and the cixiidae, preventing the transmission of the stolbur phytoplasma and protecting the soil from erosion and wind.

As they sprout, these cover crops are transforming the classic aesthetic into a less manicured scene where streaks of yellow, green, and other colors are threaded among the purple lavender bloom.

Resistant to change

Just over an hour’s drive northeast of Marseille, the 300-square-mile Plateau de Valensole, is one of the primary areas for lavender growing and tourism in Provence. After seeing his crops decline due to disease and drought, Yann Sauvaire is one of the few producers in the region to embrace agroecology.

(Nature is out of sync—discover what that could mean for the future.)

In some fields, he puts in native trees or lets grass sprout between the lavender. In others, he plants sainfoin, a legume that increases nitrogen levels in the soil.

Additional plants and trees have also benefitted animal life, with birds returning to the fields and sheep grazing on grass clumps between the lavender plants.

Still, the perceived costs of purchasing and maintaining cover crops has kept many farmers from fully embracing agroecology.

However, several farmers have adopted a half-in approach, planting cover crops for just a few months of the year. “This year, up to [1,000 acres] were sown in autumn and pulled up in spring because ‘postcard syndrome’ remains this physiological barrier,” Sauvaire says.

Beyond protecting the crops, residents want to safeguard lavender as a symbol of Provence. “It’s a cultural heritage we need to save,” says Bringer-Guerin. 

But this comes at a cost for tourists who come to the region to take their iconic, purple-drenched photos. To truly experience the scene, Humbert encourages visitors to put down their phones. “Don’t look at the scene through your screen. Listen, breathe—use all your senses,” she says. “Visually, we’re accustomed to perfectly aligned fields, but people are going to have to get used to new landscapes.”

What to know

The main lavender fields of Provence are centered between the Luberon and Verdon plateau regions to the north of Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, and to the east of Avignon.

The flowering period for lavender starts in mid-June and lasts until the end of August.

Several cities host lavender festivals during the summer, including Valensole Lavender Festival (July 16), Sault’s Fête de la Lavande (August 15), and Digne-les-Bains’ Corso of Lavender (August 4-8).

Learn about lavender distillation techniques from the early 1900s at the Musée de la Lavande in Cabrieres d’Avignon.

Travelers can use the Routes de la Lavande to create their own lavender bloom road trip.

Chrissie McClatchie is a French-Australian freelance travel writer and guidebook author based in Nice. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Go with Nat Geo: Sail southern France’s storied waterways on a Rhône River Cruise with Nat Geo Expeditions.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : National Geographic – https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/how-provences-lavender-fields-are-transforming-for-survival

Tags: iconicProvence’sscience
Previous Post

Notes from an author: Freya Bromley on swimming Britain’s tidal pools

Next Post

Atomic “Breathing” – A New Building Block for Quantum Technology

Antibiotic pollution could accelerate amphibian decline by turning a potential solution into a threat – Phys.org

Antibiotic pollution could accelerate amphibian decline by turning a potential solution into a threat – Phys.org

September 16, 2025
Fiji’s Ants Are Struggling. Scientists Say They’re Part of the Broader ‘Insect Apocalypse’ – Smithsonian Magazine

Fiji’s Ants Are Disappearing: A Stark Sign of the Global Insect Crisis

September 16, 2025

California Leads the Way with a Bipartisan, Science-Backed Ban on Ultra-Processed School Meals

September 16, 2025

Marwa Zaied: Leading the Revolution in Cancer Care and Longevity with Lifestyle Medicine

September 16, 2025
Will New Big Technology Engagements Reshape Innodata’s Growth Path? – Yahoo Finance

Could New Major Tech Partnerships Propel Innodata to Unprecedented Growth?

September 16, 2025
Registration open for fitness programs at Hereford Sports & Wellness – KFDA | NewsChannel 10

Registration open for fitness programs at Hereford Sports & Wellness – KFDA | NewsChannel 10

September 16, 2025
Men’s Freestyle Team Standings At The 2025 Senior World Championship – FloWrestling

Men’s Freestyle Team Standings at the 2025 Senior World Championship Revealed

September 15, 2025
ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic boosts economy with $15.8M impact – WPDE

ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic boosts economy with $15.8M impact – WPDE

September 15, 2025
The Emmys are back: Viewership soars to highest numbers in 4 years – yahoo.com

The Emmys Return with a Bang: Viewership Hits a 4-Year High

September 15, 2025
Bridging gap between artificial intelligence, real-world health outcomes – Rice University

Bridging the Divide: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Real-World Health Outcomes

September 15, 2025

Categories

Archives

September 2025
MTWTFSS
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930 
« Aug    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (822)
  • Economy (841)
  • Entertainment (21,719)
  • General (17,059)
  • Health (9,885)
  • Lifestyle (856)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (845)
  • Politics (850)
  • Science (16,052)
  • Sports (21,341)
  • Technology (15,823)
  • World (824)

Recent News

Antibiotic pollution could accelerate amphibian decline by turning a potential solution into a threat – Phys.org

Antibiotic pollution could accelerate amphibian decline by turning a potential solution into a threat – Phys.org

September 16, 2025
Fiji’s Ants Are Struggling. Scientists Say They’re Part of the Broader ‘Insect Apocalypse’ – Smithsonian Magazine

Fiji’s Ants Are Disappearing: A Stark Sign of the Global Insect Crisis

September 16, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version