W. Blum1, V.S. Stolbovoy2
1Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Peter-Jordan Straße 82a, 1190 Vienna, Austria
2Soil Science Institute V.V. Dokuchaev, Pyzhevskii per., 7, str. 2, Moskva, 119017, Russian Federation
Summary. The experience of selection of the most valuable agricultural land in the European Union, which is based on the concept of “sustainable intensification” of agricultural production, is discussed. The concept implies an increase in agricultural production without enhancement of negative impacts on the environment and the expansion of the cultivated area. The criteria of allocation of land for sustainable intensification is presented, which take into account the resistance of the soil (the ability to return to its original state after the impact) and their consistent performance (the ability to produce a long period of time). It was shown that among studied 671,672 km2 of arable land in Europe, almost half (47%) were not suitable for the sustainable intensification of agricultural production. Of this area, 4% have such poor soil quality indicators that even a decrease in the intensity of their use is recommended in order to avoid an ecological disaster. Only 41% of the studied areas have high resistance to the negative impacts on soil and sustainable productive capacity. Soil quality varies considerably from place to place, and the final decision on holding sustainable intensification should be made only on the basis of a detailed study. The analysis also shows the applicability of the method in a wide range of geographic scales: local, regional and continental. It was found that the lands recommended for sustainable intensification have the best potential return.
Keywords: high-value agricultural land, sustainable intensification of agricultural production, land resources of the European Union.
Author Details: W. Blum; V.S. Stolbovoy, D.Sc. (Geogr.), head of laboratory (е-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.).
For citation: Blum W., prof., Stolbovoy V.S.Assessment of Land Quality in Europe for the Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture. Dostizheniya nauki i tekhniki APK. 2016. V.30. No. 7. Pp. 11-13 (in Russ.).