Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

This paper explores alternatives to cotton mono-culture in Thessaly,examining various rotations suitable to regional characteristics. Different farm management practices are considered applied to two types of soil. Current practices as well as best management practices (BMP) arecompared, based on biological growth model estimations. Economic performance and environmental effects such as water deficit due to irrigation and nitrogen leaching are evaluated for a typical farm. Quantification of trade-offs between economic and environmental objectives, is attempted through bio-economic modeling. This approach can provide important information to farmers for selecting rotations and management practices but also to public decision makers for establishing agri-environmental measures.