Implementing a GIS-Based Digital Atlas of Agricultural Plastics to Reduce Their Environmental Footprint; Part I: A Deductive Approach

Giuseppe Cillis,Evelia Schettini,Dina Statuto,Giuliano Vox,Pietro Picuno

doi:10.3390/app12031330

Abstract

The agricultural sector has benefitted over the last century from several factors that have led to an exponential increase in its productive efficiency. The increasing use of new materials, such as plastics, has been one of the most important factors, as they have allowed for increased production in a simpler and more economical way. Various polymer types are used in different phases of the agricultural production cycle, but when their use is incorrectly managed, it can lead to different environmental impacts. In this study, an applied and simplified methodology to manage agricultural plastics monitoring and planning is proposed. The techniques used are based on quantification through the use of different datasets (orthophotos and satellite images) of the areas covered by plastics used for crop protection. The study area chosen is a part of the Ionian Coast of Southern Italy, which includes the most important municipalities of the Basilicata Region for fruit and vegetable production. The use of geographical techniques and observation methodologies, developed in an open-source GIS environment, enabled accurate location of about 2000 hectares of agricultural land covered by plastics, as well as identification of the areas most susceptible to the accumulation of plastic waste. The techniques and the model implemented, due to its simplicity of use and reliability, can be applied by different local authorities in order to realize an Atlas of agricultural plastics, which would be applied for continuous monitoring, thereby enabling the upscaling of future social and ecological impact assessments, identification of new policy impacts, market searches, etc.

Highlights

In recent decades, agricultural production has significantly improved, thanks to the increase in land use for agricultural activities to feed growing populations, as well as to the implementation of new technologies [1]
One of the most efficient applications is the use of plastic materials for crop protection, aimed to protect cultivations through the use of covers placed over plants while they are growing
The specific objective of this paper is, to provide an expeditious but simultaneously reliable methodology based on easy-to-use geospatial techniques, calibrated and verified in order to facilitate the realization of an Atlas of agricultural plastics at a larger (e.g., European) scale

Summary

Introduction

Agricultural production has significantly improved, thanks to the increase in land use for agricultural activities to feed growing populations, as well as to the implementation of new technologies [1]. It has increased the impacts on the rural environment, as well as on the natural cycles of the ecosystem [2]. The cover provides protection from adverse climatic factors, while at the same time increases yield and/or extends cropping season In this sense, plastic covers can play a passive effect—protecting the crops from negative weather conditions, dust, animals, birds, insects, etc.—and, at the same time, an active effect, by exploiting solar radiation and realizing a more favorable environment for the cultivations. According to the most recent data, the consumption of plastics in agriculture has reached 1.7 million tons in 2017 in the EU [6], distributed mainly between greenhouse and tunnel films, nets, and mulch films

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Conclusion