Case Study: RLP AgroScience achieves rapid automated vegetation mapping for EU LPIS compliance with Trimble eCognition

Automated Extraction of Vegetated Features and Agricultural Land

RLP AgroScience, working with local authorities in Rhineland‑Palatinate, Germany, faced a major compliance challenge: the EU’s IACS/LPIS requirements forced states to map and classify every vegetative feature across 19,000 km² at high resolution. Manual digitization would have required about 15 full‑time staff and a year to complete, risking missed deadlines and inconsistent, subjective results.

To solve this, RLP AgroScience developed ALEK, an automated workflow built on Trimble eCognition and ESRI tools that analyzes 20‑cm orthophotos and digital surface models to detect, classify and vectorize trees, hedgerows and other vegetation. The system produced EU‑compliant LPIS layers for the entire region in three months, cutting time, cost and staffing needs, improving accuracy and repeatability, and enabling ongoing, scalable updates to support subsidy verification.

RLP AgroScience

Matthias Trapp

Head of Environmental Systems