Framework for soil-crops assessment and nutrient management in pilot areas

This document describes the methodological approach for a) the characterization of soil types and selection of crop types to be applied in the different pilot areas, depending on local conditions, with particular emphasis on cover crops, taking the basic criterion of a rainfed crop and an irrigated crop.; b) the selection of the nutrient management plan and the type / amount of compost to be applied inside the theses of compared sustainable and traditional local management (examples of the Italian, Austrian and Spanish Pilot Areas); c) the size of the grid monitoring and scanning time of the time series, both for in-field trials and for EO ground truthing. These approaches are currently being tested in several FATIMA pilot areas and will be implemented during the pilot campaigns of 2016-2017 in all pilot areas (except Netherlands, which has a different focus) to varying degrees and adapted to the local characteristics and requirements.