BAT Centre of the FAT USB
BAT Centre (Best Available Techniques) of the Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, represents a specialised research facility focused on the development, validation, and implementation of best available techniques in the fields of agriculture and environmental protection. The mission of the Centre is to create a state-of-the-art scientific and technological background enabling applied research at a high professional level—from laboratory experiments to pilot-scale and full operational conditions.
The activities of the Centre are fully aligned with European and Czech legislation on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) and are based on the principles of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED 2.0). Research activities conducted at the BAT Centre contribute to the development of sustainable technologies, the reduction of environmental impacts of agricultural and livestock production, and the formulation of technical solutions applicable in decision-making and regulatory processes.
Areas of Research and Application
The BAT Centre focuses primarily on:
- air quality protection and emission reduction,
- emission monitoring and predictive modelling,
- the use of unmanned systems and CFD models,
- management of livestock excreta, including their application to soil,
- professional education and training of practitioners.
The proposed technologies and procedures are systematically verified under real pilot-scale and operational conditions, often directly on agricultural farms. Successfully validated solutions are subsequently prepared for broader application through follow-up projects, knowledge transfer, and cooperation with the applied sector.
Integration of Research, Education, and Practice
A key aspect of the Centre’s activities is the close integration of research and education. The BAT Centre provides expert support for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral theses and actively participates in national and international grant projects. Research topics are coordinated on a long-term basis to ensure the generation of comprehensive, systematic, and practically applicable outputs with measurable impact.
Within study programmes, a specialised course entitled Best Available Techniques – BAT is offered, introducing students to current trends in environmental technologies and their practical application.
The Centre also closely cooperates with the Technical Working Group established under the Act on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.
International Dimension and Scientific Outputs
Verified research results are applied at the international level, particularly in revisions of BREF reference documents in cooperation with foreign experts. In this way, the BAT Centre actively contributes to shaping future standards of best available techniques in livestock farming and related fields.
Since its establishment, the Centre has supported a number of successfully defended bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral theses, and has produced scientific publications in peer-reviewed international conference proceedings and impact-factor journals. The BAT Centre cooperates with Teagasc in Ireland as well as with National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan.
Organisationally, the BAT Centre of the Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia, is incorporated within the Department of Technology and Cybernetics.
- Izuchukwu Martin Aroh, Gerard McCutcheon, Benjamin Peter Macartan, Radim Kuneš, Thomas P Curran, Louise ClarkeMonitoring ammonia emissions in pig facilities: a comparative review of measurement technologies, monitoring protocols, and technology decision-support framework, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Volume 241, 2026, 111238, ISSN 0168-1699, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2025.111238 (Q1; I.F. 8,9).
- Bojana Petrović, Roman Bumbálek, Tomáš Zoubek, Radim Kuneš, Luboš Smutný, Petr Bartoš (2024). Application of precision agriculture technologies in Central Europe-review, Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 101048, ISSN 2666-1543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2024.101048 (Q1; I.F. 3,8).
- Kunes, R.; Havelka, Z.; Olsan, P.; Dolan, A.; Stehlik, R.; Petrovic, B.; Smutny, L.; Bartos, P.; Xiao, M.; Kriz, P.; Cerny, P. Comparison of the Three Approaches for Determining Ammonia Emissions in the Intensive Breeding of Fattening Pigs with Respect to the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control: Case Study for the Czech Republic. Atmosphere 2022, 13, 2084. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13122084 (Q2; I.F. 3,110).
- Kunes, R.; Havelka, Z.; Olsan, P.; Smutny, L.; Filip, M.; Zoubek, T.; Bumbalek, R.; Petrovic, B.; Stehlik, R.; Bartos, P. A Review: Comparison of Approaches to the Approval Process and Methodology for Estimation of Ammonia Emissions from Livestock Farms under IPPC. Atmosphere 2022, 13, 2006. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13122006 (Q2; I.F. 3,110).
- Havelka, Z.; Kunes, R.; Kononets, Y.; Stokes, J.E.; Smutny, L.; Olsan, P.; Kresan, J.; Stehlik, R.; Bartos, P.; Xiao, M.; Kriz, P.; Findura, P.; Roztocil, D. Technology of Microclimate Regulation in Organic and Energy-Sustainable Livestock Production. Agriculture 2022, 12, 1563. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101563 (Q1; I.F. 3,408).
- Havelka, Z., Olšan, P., Kuneš, R., Stehlík, R., Bumbálek, R., Zoubek, T., Filip., M., Šístková, M., a Bartoš, P. (2021). Referenční dokument o nejlepších dostupných technologiích pro intenzivní chovy drůbeže a prasat. České Budějovice: Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zemědělská fakulta. ISBN: 978-80-7394-889-4
- Kuneš, R., Bartoš, P., Celjak, I., Havelka, Z., Šístková, M. a Šoch, M. (2017). Technology for Intensive Poultry Production as a Source of Odour Emissions with Time-Varying Intensity. Acta Technologica Agriculturae, 4:91-95. https://doi.org/10.1515/ata-2017-0018 (Q3; I.F. 0,8).
Contact Person
- Ing. Radim Kuneš, Ph.D.