Projects / Programmes
Building of national sistem of variable buffer zones for water bodies, protected areas and urban areas
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.00.00 |
Biotechnical sciences |
|
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T420 |
Technological sciences |
Agricultural engineering, agricultural machines, farmhouse construction |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.01 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
agriculture technology, pesticides, buffer zones, water bodies, protected areas, urban areas
Researchers (18)
Organisations (3)
Abstract
The proposed project is dealing with limitations of disadvantageous side-effects of plant protection product use and continuous restriction on the conditions of their use. This concept is more or less obvious to most people who have no direct contact with agricultural production. The project proposal is to establish a system of adjustable buffer zones of surface waters, as in many EU countries is already the common practice instead of the use of fixed buffer zones (surface waters, application of PPP in areas near urban settlements) in Slovenia regulated by the Plant Protection Products Act and the Waters Act, and their sub-law regulations. In the areas, where the adjustable buffer zones are already established, there are more positive than negative experiences present, such as on the segment of monitoring of environmental parameters and also on the area of monitoring of the economic performance of agricultural producers. The adopted system would eliminate currently present difficulties, which often discourage producers from further agriculture production, or even completely make the agricultural production impossible.
The results of the proposed work lead to a reduction of currently regulated surface waters buffer zones in PPP use, thus increasing of agricultural areas for efficient food production, thereby increasing food security through stable production of safe, quality food and consumer access.
In the frame of the proposed CRP are jointed strengths of the administrative staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment and researchers who are experts in the area of the environmental and agricultural legislation, drift modeling of PPP, spatial analysis and modeling of PPP ecological influence on the environment.
The main objective of the project group is to introduce a system of adjustable buffer zones (surface waters, application of PPP in areas near urban settlements) in PPP use in Slovenia.
To achieve the main objective of the project a detailed review of legislation approaches in other European countries (e.g. Austria and Germany) is necessary. The transformation of their corresponding data on possible reduction of buffer zones in pesticide use and different types of application equipment should be easily transformed in national dossier on GAP for specific PPP. Environmental standards that are followed in authorization procedure of PPP and the determination of use of adjustable buffer zones as implemented in Austria or Germany are good enough for their implementation in Slovenia.
Furthermore, the project proposes the establishment of a permanent on-line register of application equipment for PPP application with different categories of drift, the establishment of new sub-law regulation about placement of new equipment in to register of anti-drift equipment and the suggestion to prepare necessary expert groundwork for future legislative link between the registry and the authorization procedure of PPP and between the guidelines for PPP use.
In the final stage of the proposed project, additional recommendations will be made on how to introduce corresponding certificates, which will designate the category of application equipment regarding the level of reducing the drift, into the system of certification and inspection of application equipment.
All proposed project activities are in accordance with the development and implementation of national strategies for sustainable use of pesticides, which is part of the activities of Directive on Sustainable Use of Pesticides.
Significance for science
The results and conclusions of the project contributes to the development of science in terms of methodological bases. With this knowledge it is possible to determine the adaptive buffer zones in the area that agricultural land and bodies of water, protected areas and urbanized areas come in contact.
Significance for the country
Results and conclusions of this project are important for development of Slovenia and represent and contribute to the creation of platforms for revisions / changes of legislation. That would allow an acceptable long-term management of the problem of contact / conflict zones. Expert bases that were made have an excellent starting point for dissemination activities that focus on stakeholders, such as carriers of agricultural activities, inspection services and representatives of the local community.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2011,
2012,
2013,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2011,
2012,
final report
