AISAAC: AI-based sustainability assessment of cropland
Duration:
04/2025
—
03/2027
Total project duration:
2 years
Photo: iStock
The project
The goal of AISAAC is to develop an AI-based monitoring system that assesses the sustainability of agricultural land at a small-scale level. The aim is to identify unproductive subplots, support restoration efforts, and optimize the use of resources in agriculture.The validation of the entire methodology will be conducted on a reference field of the project partner Weinland Agrar.
Our activities in the project
The focus of POLICIES in the AISAAC project is on researching AI-based methods for predicting the crop yields of site-specific managed agricultural areas. To describe the complex relationships between satellite data, weather data, soil characteristics, soil moisture, resource utilization, and crop yield, an innovative Explainable AI (XAI) approach is being explored, and a model will be developed based on historical data from project partners Weinland Agrar and aGRAR-ZT. Spatially high-resolution yield predictions will be enabled through the use of PlanetScope satellite data, whose accuracy will also be compared with predictions based on Sentinel-2 data in the project.
Research groups
Downloads
Contracting Authority
FFG
Project partners
JR DIGITAL
Forschung Burgenland GmbH
WEINLAND AGRAR GMBH
Dipl.-Ing. Georg Brunnhofer AGRAR-ZT
Maschinenring Agrar Concept GmbH
Details of the project
To meet the rising food demand of a growing global population while protecting the environment, it is crucial to optimize crop yields through innovative agricultural practices and ensure efficient resource use. The resource requirements for high-yield agriculture depend not only on the crops being cultivated but also on factors such as soil fertility, terrain, weather, and pest infestations.
Although precision farming and site-specific management aim to optimize resource use, small areas within fields can still exhibit low yields. To effectively promote nature conservation and biodiversity while ensuring the efficiency and resilience of agricultural production, these areas must be identified and designated for restoration measures in line with the EU Regulation on Nature Restoration.
The AISAAC project, therefore, develops a monitoring approach for the systematic, localized assessment of the sustainability of agricultural land. This assessment will incorporate resource use and crop yields.
The AISAAC project aims to generate positive societal benefits by enhancing decision-making for sustainable agricultural practices, which will result in lower resource consumption and emission savings. By identifying potential natural restoration areas, the project also supports responsible land management and the promotion of biodiversity.
