GAEC cross-compliance standard Vegetation buffer on water courses: possible methods of detection by Remote Sensing products and existing data

• Main Authors: Paolo Tosi, Livio Rossi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PAGEPress Publications 2011-08-01
• Series: Italian Journal of Agronomy
• Subjects: cross compliance; GAEC standard; buffer strips; water pollution; GIS; Remote Sensing
• Online Access: https://www.agronomy.it/index.php/agro/article/view/367

The Agency for Agricultural Payments National Payment Agency (AGEA) in Italy, in order to manage and control EU farmer subsidies in Agriculture, is supported by SIN, an owned public/private company, aiming at facing technical solutions and innovation developments. Since 2005 SIN-AGEA have been testing and performing innovation tools and methods, especially in CAP cross compliance application. A vegetation buffer strip is requested, flanking pre-defined water streams, by Reg. EC 73/2009, CAP cross compliance policies, with pertinence from 2012. Due to the existing collaboration agreement JRC-AGEA-SIN, and the Rete Rurale Nazionale, tests and feasibility have been started to: - improve the knowledge of cross compliance; - identify feasible farmer obligations and clear rules of behaviour; - develop updated controls methods; - integrate available territorial information, creating awareness and user connection The paper faces criteria definition for water streams identification, application areas, different risk zones, buffer width, efficiency indicators, through: existing data, new Remote Sensing (RS) products and GIS tools for watersheds characterization. A shared decision, both for methodology and homogeneous farmer commitments at national/EU level, using validated layers/data set, at contained costs, is the main target.