Pierluigi Calanca has a background in climatology. At Agroscope, his research focuses on understanding the interrelationship between climate and agricultural ecosystems, addressing in particular the impacts of climate change on water resources, grasslands and crops.
Much of his work rests on both the statistical analysis of climate records and experimental data as well as the development, testing and application of process-based ecosystem models.
Since a few years, his activities also involve modelling the distribution of crop pests. In his spare time, he cultivates his interest for problems in boundary-layer meteorology.