Projects / Programmes
Climate information as an additional criteria for evaluation of less favoured areas (LFA)
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.02.04 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Physics |
Meteorology and oceanography |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| P500 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Geophysics, physical oceanography, meteorology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.03 |
Natural Sciences |
Physical sciences |
LFA, temperature threshold, growing season, evapotranspiration, climatic maps, simulation model, production costs
Researchers (7)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Biophysical criteria for the delineation of Less Favoured Areas should be based on climate conditions, as part of the process to update the system at the level of the European Union.
The climate data that have a major impact on crop yield have to be studied and included into the LFA model. This will ensure a more appropriate allocation of production independent direct payments for the LFA. The model calculations of LFA have to include, for example, information about soil water balance, as it is crucial for the growth of plants in addition to the nutrients in the soil. The project studies the climate parameters that could impose additional restrictions on the cultivation of crops in Slovenia: the duration of the growing season, temperature sums for the growing season, temperature thresholds, saline or frost, the number of cold days, the number of ice days, the number of hot days, dryness. For the analysis we need long data sets with no missing values for as many stations in Slovenia as possible for the period 1981–2010. The LFA Climate parameters for the study are summarized in the document Updated common bio-physical criteria to define natural constraints for agriculture in Europe (JRC, 2013). We have to examine whether the proposed calculations are appropriate and feasible for Slovenia by comparing different calculation methods as well as using the related climate parameters that are already recognised in Slovenia as a major constraint to agriculture.
Drought will most likely be recognized as a major limiting factor. In the context of the European agricultural policy and Less Favoured Areas, soil moisture deficit is defined as the number of days during the growing season (defined by temperature thresholds) for which rainfall and available soil moisture are inadequate compared to the reference evapotranspiration for the plant to progress with the production cycle. In dry areas, agriculture is rather limited with regard to crop selection and yield. For the calculation of LFA, the UNEP indicator of drought AI was chosen, which is defined as the ratio between annual precipitation and annual potential evapotranspiration. We recommend further review and analysis of other drought indicators which are already in use in Slovenia. These mainly include percentiles of precipitation, standardized precipitation index SPI, meteorological water balance (the difference between precipitation and potential evapotranspiration). They should be compared with AI.
The next step in the project is spatial interpolation of the selected basic and applied climatological variables. With the deficient network of climatological stations, spatial interpolation of climatological variables constitutes the main research problem, being required to consider Slovenia’s diverse terrain. The maps are prepared using statistical methods of spatial interpolation based on the statistical analysis of spatial data and statistical modelling of the distribution of variables in space. As the eligibility for LFA is determined at the level of local administrative units, the calculations will be made on the basis of GERK. We will follow the methodology that was used to determine the current LFA to allow inclusion in the on-going system.
The last part of the project is the economic evaluation of climate conditions for Less Favoured Areas (LFA), encompassing in its first phase development of a methodology for evaluation of individual climate factors. Due to a lack of empirical data the approach will be based on a simulation model that allows simulation of various climate aggravation factors present in LFA and affecting the less favoured conditions for agricultural production. The basic methodological starting point, which will be considered when defining the model and making the applicative calculation, is that the number of points and, as a consequence, the amount of compensatory payments reflect the difference in production costs per surface unit between less favo
Significance for science
The project is important for the development of agrometeorology and climatology. A thorough analysis of representative meteorological stations according to measured data quality improvement can contribute to science development. An exact analysis of microclimate variables that are in Slovenia very space and time dependent due to the relief is important for the profession development.
Significance for the country
The results of the research project have in some areas an important role in the protection of cultural heritage. Financial support of farming is in some areas of less favoured areas for agriculture important especially for preventing the overgrowing. The main purpose of the project was to include climate data in the criteria for determining less favoured areas, which are the recommendations of the European Comission. In that way can be achieved better balanced financial support that is closer to European standards .
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2015,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2015,
final report
