# Influence of Atmospheric Pollutants and Weather Conditions on Agricultural Productivity in Italy
## 4 Discussion  
The results of the study highlight the complex interplay between air quality, meteorological conditions, and crop yields across various Italian cities over the period considered. The findings suggest that while pollutant levels generally remained within legal limits across all locations, the variations in specific pollutants, particularly ozone, had noticeable impacts on crop production. The air quality data revealed that none of the monitored cities exceeded the annual legal limits for PM10, NO\({}_{2}\), O\({}_{3}\), or SO\({}_{2}\) during the study period. Particularly noteworthy is the case of ozone, which, despite staying within the prescribed limits, emerged as the most influential factor affecting crop yields. The results align with previous research by [PERSON] et al. (2018), which underscores ozone's detrimental effects on plant health. The fact that ozone levels had a measurable impact on crop production, even without exceeding the legal thresholds, suggests that current regulatory limits may not fully account for the sensitivity of agricultural systems to this pollutant. The analysis of the ANOVA results showed that all the variables considered (NO\({}_{2}\), SO\({}_{2}\), PM10, O\({}_{3}\), and rain) have a significant influence on the yield linked to agricultural production. The analysis of crop yields across the cities showed distinct trends tied to the environmental and air quality data. In Palermo, durum wheat production remained stable despite fluctuating ozone levels, indicating a possible resilience in this specific context. In contrast, Bari's durum wheat production exhibited a slight decline in response to increasing ozone concentrations, particularly during the last two years of the study. This suggests that while the overall trends in Bari remained stable, the presence of ozone had a subtle yet significant impact on crop productivity. For common wheat, the results from Ferrara and Padua further underscore the influence of ozone. Ferrara demonstrated high sensitivity to ozone concentrations, with yield peaks closely tied to specific ozone levels. This indicates that common wheat is particu  
Figure 11: Production yield (t/ha) and ozone concentration in the Italian sites for corn, durum wheat, and common wheat. larly vulnerable to changes in air quality, especially ozone, which can cause substantial fluctuations in yield. Similarly, corn production in Padua and Venice showed a clear correlation with ozone levels. As ozone concentrations increased, crop yields decreased, with significant drops observed at higher ozone levels. This pattern highlights the importance of monitoring and managing ozone levels, even within the currently accepted limits, to safeguard crop productivity. Furthermore, in the case of corn production in Venice, in addition to ozone, SO\({}_{2}\) also appears to be influential. This pollutant is characteristic of emissions linked to the port area and linked to the use of naval fuels which contain a high sulfur content. In this preliminary analysis only, rain was considered as a meteorological factor, and the meteorological analysis revealed a general decline in annual rainfall across most cities, accompanied by an increase in heavy rain events. While rainfall is typically beneficial for crop growth, the variability in precipitation patterns can pose challenges. For instance, excessive rainfall, as observed in Padua from 2019 onwards, can lead to adverse effects on crop health and yield. The case of Palermo is particularly interesting, as it recorded a sharp increase in rainfall in 2021, which did not seem to negatively affect crop yields, suggesting that the region's crops may be more adaptable to such fluctuations. However, the overall trend of declining rainfall combined with sporadic heavy rain events could pose long-term risks to agricultural stability in these regions. The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 must be considered, as it led to drastic changes in pollutant levels due to the resulting lockdowns.