Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy                                                                                                       Member of network of academics

System of environmental-technical optimization of spatial parameters of agricultural land in the context of permanent efficient management

How to design an appropriate internal layout of agricultural land taking into account the ecosystem services provided. 

The aim of the project is to develop methods for optimising the internal layout of agricultural land, including zonation methods within soil sub-blocks (LPIS) in the context of effective application of precision agriculture and ensuring the diversity of agricultural landscapes. The optimisation also includes the design of environmental-technical areas where there is a requirement to enhance the environmental functions of the landscape. The methods must take into account the technical requirements of agricultural techniques, crop rotation principles, economics, but also aspects of the functional natural environment, soil and water conservation. The project will result in a set of methods for optimising the internal layout of LPIS, including an assessment of their impact on agrotechnical operations, ecosystem services, and in terms of future agricultural requirements, i.e. the possibility of CO2 fixation, and increased landscape stability. 

The IEEP team will be responsible for the economic assessment of the measures in the project. An integral part of this will be the consideration and valuation of externalities in the form of ecosystem services and costs of the measures. By implementing economic methods (cost-benefit analysis/multicriteria analysis) to determine the overall/sub-impacts, the suitability of the different options for implementing the measures will be assessed.

Funding Agency: Ministry of Agriculture: public competition of the Programme ZEMĚ II announced in 2023
Duration: 03/2024 – 09/2026
Contact person: Jan Macháč, e-mail: machac@ieep.cz
Researchers: Marek Hekrle, Lenka Zaňková
In cooperation with: Výzkumný ústav meliorací a ochrany půdy,v. v. i. (lead partner)

České vysoké učení technické v Praze

Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze