Assessment of the economic and environmental sustainability of Variable Rate Technology (VRT) application in different wheat intensive European agricultural areas. A Water energy food nexus approach

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00027049%3A_____%2F20%3AN0000038" target="_blank" >RIV/00027049:_____/20:N0000038 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1462901119313292?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1462901119313292?via%3Dihub</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.08.019" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.envsci.2020.08.019</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Assessment of the economic and environmental sustainability of Variable Rate Technology (VRT) application in different wheat intensive European agricultural areas. A Water energy food nexus approach

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

In this paper we assess the sustainability of Variable Rate Technology (VRT) application for different wheat intensive agricultural areas in Europe. Within the H2020 FATIMA project we developed an analytical framework to assess the environmental and economic sustainability of nutrient management in two Case Studies in Greek and Czech Republic, implemented with different fertilization strategies in the winter wheat production, compared with the conventional one. We look at the economic and environmental dimension expressed throughout a set of specific performance indicators implemented under the Water Energy Food (WEF) nexus framework. Considering that fertilization strategies significatively affect environmental impact as well as economic performance at farm level, we investigated how Precision Agriculture (PA) tools, and particularly VRT, most suitable for increasing efficiency in fertilization distribution, can improve and maximize efficiency of inputs and profitability of individual fields by targeting application where needed and at optimum rates. The study shows how, despite a general reduction of production cost and increase in gross margin, farm sizes and the level of efficiency of the “as usual scenario” influence the economic impact of the VRT. Looking instead at the environmental perspective of the analysis, the results provide evidence of a decrease of nitrogen (N) due to lower amount of fertilizers, as well as a better distribution according to the potential productivity of the field, causing reduced impact of groundwater quality (nitrate loss by leaching). On the other side, some constraints arise from the high cost and the investments needed to adopt VRT at farm level, one of the main challenges to be solved through adequate policy instruments.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Assessment of the economic and environmental sustainability of Variable Rate Technology (VRT) application in different wheat intensive European agricultural areas. A Water energy food nexus approach

Popis výsledku anglicky

In this paper we assess the sustainability of Variable Rate Technology (VRT) application for different wheat intensive agricultural areas in Europe. Within the H2020 FATIMA project we developed an analytical framework to assess the environmental and economic sustainability of nutrient management in two Case Studies in Greek and Czech Republic, implemented with different fertilization strategies in the winter wheat production, compared with the conventional one. We look at the economic and environmental dimension expressed throughout a set of specific performance indicators implemented under the Water Energy Food (WEF) nexus framework. Considering that fertilization strategies significatively affect environmental impact as well as economic performance at farm level, we investigated how Precision Agriculture (PA) tools, and particularly VRT, most suitable for increasing efficiency in fertilization distribution, can improve and maximize efficiency of inputs and profitability of individual fields by targeting application where needed and at optimum rates. The study shows how, despite a general reduction of production cost and increase in gross margin, farm sizes and the level of efficiency of the “as usual scenario” influence the economic impact of the VRT. Looking instead at the environmental perspective of the analysis, the results provide evidence of a decrease of nitrogen (N) due to lower amount of fertilizers, as well as a better distribution according to the potential productivity of the field, causing reduced impact of groundwater quality (nitrate loss by leaching). On the other side, some constraints arise from the high cost and the investments needed to adopt VRT at farm level, one of the main challenges to be solved through adequate policy instruments.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10501 - Hydrology

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

R - Projekt Ramcoveho programu EK

Rok uplatnění

2020

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Environmental Science & Policy

ISSN

1462-9011

e-ISSN

—

Svazek periodika

114

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

december 2020

Stát vydavatele periodika

NL - Nizozemsko

Počet stran výsledku

11

Strana od-do

366-376

Kód UT WoS článku

000591436800019

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-85090883104