Page 23 - Green Knowledge 2020

First cut.
Photo: Kjersti Kildahl
New map for vegetables, grain and grass
Norway has a huge variety of natural conditions for plant cultivation. To ensure sustainable Norwegian food production, the land with the greatest potential for plant cultivation must be used for food production.
In 2020, NIBIO presented new maps showing the cultivation potential for vegetables, grain and grass in different parts of the country.
“The new maps are an important contribution toward achieving conscious land use, and will help make Norwegian food production more sustainable,” says project manager Siri Svendgård-Stokke.
The model behind the maps is based on soil proper- ties, weather data and the seasonal requirements for crops. Because the model relies on soil data, the maps are only available for areas on which agricul- tural soil surveys have already been performed — in other words, approximately half of the country’s agricultural land.
The aim is that farmers achieve successful produc- tion within their production environment.
In the past, knowledge about soil was passed down from generation to generation. In modern agriculture, with much of the land being leased,
that is no longer the case. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to find alternative ways
of imparting this knowledge.
It is also important for decision-makers to be aware of the land’s food production potential when making political decisions on the use of agricultural land for purposes other than agriculture.
The maps can be used as a basis for analyses of the land’s value and suitability for different crops when there is competition for the land, or to assess market potential, production environments and sales channels.
The maps are welcomed by Olaug Bollestad, Minister of Agriculture and Food:
“Consumers are demanding more and more fruit and vegetables. When farmers and the public administra- tion set out to meet this demand, the new maps will be an excellent aid,” says the minister.
Goal: Collaboration: Funding: Contact:
To provide the industry and public administration with decision-making support to improve the utilization of soil as a resource.
Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Norwegian Agricultural Extension Service, Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Head of Department Siri Svendgård-Stokke.
Email: siri.svendgard-stokke@nibio.no, mobile: +47 478 14 011. Division of Survey and Statistics
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