agriculture and water quality...phosphorus indices – a simple tool 12 agriculture and water...

Agriculture and Water QualityDevelopments and challenges in science, management and policy in 2013-2017: Examples from a few countries

Dico Fraters, Karel Kovar, Brian Kronvang, Roland Stenger, Carl Bolster

Agriculture and Water Quality, developments and challenges | 29 May 2017

2 Agriculture and Water Quality, developments and challenges | 29 May 2017

In the beginning there was chaos… as expressed in Karel’s handwriting

A. Systems function

B. Monitoring

C. Climate change

D. Assessmentof policies

E. Impact of land management practices

F. Management protected areas

G. Decision makingon programmesof measures

H. Implementationof programmesof measures

Land Use and Water Quality conferences


Land Use and Water Quality conferences

170 participantsfrom 30 countries




A. Systems function

B. Monitoring

C. Climate change

D. Assessmentof policies

E. Impact of land management practices

F. Management protected areas

G. Decision makingon programmesof measures

H. Implementationof programmesof measures

LuWQ scheme and themes


Improving water quality

Reducing emissions

Po

licy and

science

Man

agem

ent

Developments andchallenges

1.Policy2.Management3.Science



Examples

USA

New Zealand

Denmark

NetherlandsEuropeUSA


Clean Water Rule (2015)USA Federal regulation

Source: EPA Water Quality Assessment

− Clarifies, by rule, waters subject to federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act (1972)

− The Rule clarifies that smaller tributaries andheadwaters that have a significant connection with downstream waters are under federal jurisdiction

− It does not modify the CWA in regards to controlling non-point source pollution and leaves in place exemptions for agriculture

− Not yet implemented due to court challenges Opposed by business and

agriculture stakeholder groups

− Current administration plans to repeal and replace

USA regulations at state level: Ohio


● Entire State: applicators are required to be certified if they are applying manure from confined animal feeding facilities to more than 50 acres (20 ha)

● Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB): Spreading of manure or commercial fertilizer is banned during unfavourable soil and/or weather conditionsAllowable if injected or incorporated within 24 hr or if applied to growing crop

● Designation of distressed watersheds (Grand Lake St. Marys)– No manure application from 15 Dec – 1 Mar

without prior approval– Similar restrictions as WLEB rest of year

Algae bloom (NOAA/Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory)

Grand Lake St. Marys (Wikipedia)

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreementan example how federal, state, and local agencies are partnering to address water quality issues in a major water body

− Designed to achieve clean water, abundant life, conserved lands, and engaged communities

− Recognizes importance of local governments, individual citizens, businesses, watershed groups and NGOs

− Signatories to the voluntary agreement have committed to establishing goals and outcomes for the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed


Source: Wikipedia

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/chesapeakebaywatershedagreement


Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement− Aligns closely with strategies detailed in President

Obama’s Executive Order on Bay protection and restoration

− 10 interrelated goals, 31 outcomes, and 25 management strategies

− Establishes outcomes for each goal, 2-year milestones, and measurable targets

− Uses Bay-wide Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) developed by EPA in 2010. Aim is:• 60% of actions to be completed by 2017• Full restoration of Bay by 2025

1985 2009 2015

Phosphorus loads

2017 target

2025 target

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/chesapeakebaywatershedagreement

Phosphorus indices – a simple tool


− The P index is a simple model used to assess vulnerability of P loss from agricultural fields

− The P index has come under significant criticism:• Lack of measurable declines in P in important

water bodies• Increased soil test P levels in many fields• Many P indices developed based on

professional judgment rather than scientific data

• Large amount of diversity in P indices among the states

− Many of the criticisms of P index were addressed in USDA-NRCS Revised Nutrient Management Standard (590) Photo of Lower Des Plaines River

by Cindy Skrukrud


− Ideally: a P index should be evaluated and/or updated using measured P loss dataHowever, very few data sets exist:

Cost and time prohibitive !− Alternatively: compare P index output with

output from process-based P loss models• Advantage – not data limited,

can test a wide range of conditions• Disadvantage – model must be a realistic

representation of the processes governing P loss in the region of interest

• Recommended by SERA-17 Working Group when data are unavailable

• USDA-NRCS funded research to evaluate accuracy of P index in 3 regions

Evaluating and improving P indices

Courtesy: Andrew Sharpley

log(y) = 0.76*log(x) - 0.93r2 = 0.84

Revised KY PI

0.1 1 10 100

Mea

sure

d P

loss

(lbs

P/a

cre)

0.01

0.1

1

10

Presentation about PMonday afternoon,

including:A proxy for P risk in

tile drained landscapes (abstract #139)


Examples

USA

New Zealand

EuropeNetherlands

Denmark

European Union’s water quality legislation at a glance

Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000)- Ground and surface water bodies- Both quality and quantity- Realisation of good quality in 2027

Nitrate Directive (ND, 1991)- Waters influenced by nitrogen (and

phosphorus ) pollution - Obligation to designate vulnerable

areas, make action plans and report about progress


Denmark

Netherlands

‐

50

100

150

1980 1990 2000 2010

Consequences of abolishment of milk quota The Netherlands


Cattle number Index (2000 = 100%)

2008 formal decision to abolish milk quota in 2015 Start increase number of cows

1984 milk quotas enter in to force

2015: End of quotas

Nitrate (mg/L) root zone leaching200

150

100

50

-1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Presentation of evaluations of WFD (#7)and ND (#51) on Wednesday afternoon

Netherlands’ policies to decrease number of cattle1. Act “Sustainable growth of dairies” (2016)− Growth possible if land area is increased− The more intensive (livestock number / area)

the more land should be acquired in case of growth

2. Phosphate Reduction Agreement (2017)− Reduction phosphate in fodders − Farm closure scheme− Measures by milking and milk products sector

3. Phosphate Act (2018)− Each dairy receives phosphate production rights− Rights are tradable


Delta plan Agrarian Water managementGoals: improving water quantity and quality, including minimising nutrient and pesticide emissions and improving soil quality

Voluntary measures:- measures may differ per project, - voluntary but with subsidies to make

projects feasible

Co-operation between: - Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture, - Water boards and - other organisations, such as Provinces and

Drinking water production companies


http://agrarischwaterbeheer.nl/

Example presented by Van den Brink (#100) on Special Session 2 this afternoon

30 project

0

50

100

150

200

1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015

National network (LMM) Provincial network (BVM) project Water company (DSG)

A political turmoil about a scientific method


Question raised in parliament in 2014

“What is your opinion on the … shortcomings of the methods used by

RIVM ..”

Nitrate concentration (mg/L) in root zone leachingat farms in the Loess Region in the Netherlands

EU standard

Farmers’ press 2014:Nitrate results RIVM

too high (RIVM)

Increasing farmer dissatisfaction with agri-environment policies in DenmarkAgricultural Package launched by Danish Government in December 2015 − Farmers allowed to again

fertilise to the economic optimum fertilisation was below

since 1998 and in 2016 it was around

20% below economic optimum

− Danish Buffer Strip Law removed (in force since 2012) no more mandatory

10 m BSs around all watercourses and lakes


Emission of nitrogen to the Sea in Denmark

Numbers in tonnes N

Target Loading

Goal of New Danish Plan for Agriculture (February 2016):


Total Nitrogen retention (%)Nitrogen attenuation/retention map (August 2015)

Total N retention

More targeted and emissions based regulationby: (1) accounting for natural attenuation at

coastal and catchment scale and (2) selecting the best mitigation measures

per field and catchment

− Focus on (a) developing new N mitigation options and (b) longer term introduction of emission

based regulations

− Funding for establishing 200 additionalmonitoring stations Farmers prefer monitoring over models


In Denmark, a programme has been established involving 25 new Catchment Consultants to assist farmers as intermediary managers for choosing suitable mitigation measures on his/her land – they bring in a bag of ideas from research

Choosing suitable mitigation measures

Ministry for Food and Environment

Catchment Consultants Farmer


New targeted management of agricultural production is coming in Denmark 2017-2021: Needs for new scientifically approved mitigation measures – ongoing research on several technologies

Approved mitigation measure2017

Field and transport mitigation measures1

2


Intelligent Buffer zone (IBZ)Constructed July 2014

OutletInlet

High efforts on scientific test of Nitrogen effects of mitigation measures

Total removalRemoval wetland

Zak et al., unpublished,Special Session S1, Tuesday


CW 1 +2 horizontal flow CW 3 +4 vertical upward flow

CW 6 vertical downward flow

Sub-Surface Matrix flow Constructed wetlands

53-54 g N/m2/year 38-46 g N/m2/year

45-60 g N/m2/year

Hoffmann et al., unpublishedSpecial Session S1- Tuesday


Examples

USA

New Zealand

EuropeNetherlands

Denmark


2014: New Zealand Government’s twin challenge‘doubling export earnings from primary production, while maintaining or improving water quality’.

Ministry for the Environment/StatsNZ 2017: “In monitored rivers, nitrate-nitrogen was worsening (55%) at more sites than improving (28%), and dissolved reactive phosphorus was improving (42%) at more sites than worsening (25%) between 1994 and 2013.”


2014: New Zealand Government’s twin challenge‘doubling export earnings from primary production, while maintaining or improving water quality’.

Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor 2017: “…is it really possible to have our cake and eat it too? As a nation, do we have the scientific understanding, the management tools, the policy solutions, and the resolve to do it?”

InitiativeOur Land and Water National Science Challenge


Co-management by Māori and Government,an example from Aotearoa/New Zealand

Waikato river, New Zealand’s longest river is co-managed by central and local government and five iwi (Māori tribes)

Māori as guardians - agreed water quality goals are more ambitious than those applicable to the whole country: “safe for people to swim in and take food from over its entire length”

Waikato Regional Council CEO: “There's now real ownership by iwi of our common challenges and, most importantly, the solutions to those challenges.”


Co-management by Māori and Government,finding solutions to the challenges

Māori as resource users

26% of the total Māori asset base is located in Waikato – amounting to > 6 billion NZ$

Fishing, forestry, sheep & beef, dairy, kiwifruit, nutraceuticals, tourism, geothermal energy, …

Māori strive for economically successful management of their assets in balance with their guardianship responsibilities


Wed, 31 May, 15:30 – 16:00, Ken Taylor: Our Land and Water National Science Challenge: Science to transform our agricultural landscapes (abstract #156)

1. Wrap up - PolicyEuropean Union (examples from Denmark & the Netherlands)− Abolishment of the milk quota system in 2015 threatens the water

quality improvements reached in the past− Increasing farmers’ dissatisfaction with agri-environment policies

New Zealand− Serious questions about the twin challenge of

a) ‘doubling the country’s export earnings from primary production b) while maintaining or improving water quality’

United States of America− More waters subject to federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act,

but restricted to point source pollution − At state level legislation has been passed to limit agricultural diffuse

pollution


2. Wrap-up ManagementEuropean Union (examples from Denmark & the Netherlands)− More responsibility for farmers to reach good water quality − Closer co-operation between farmers, water managers and local

authorities

New Zealand− Increasing role of Māori (Aotearoa/New Zealand’s indigenous people) as

guardians and resource users

United States of America− Federal, state, and local agencies are partnering to address water

quality issues− Signatories to the voluntary agreement have committed to establishing

goals and outcomes


3. Wrap-up Science

Science is increasingly involved in: - Underpinning environmentally sound agricultural practices and

measures to reduce impact of practices- Underpinning of environmental targets and - Measuring achievement of targets (monitoring status and trend).

As a consequence: science is being more closely scrutinised and sometimes will come under fire as stakeholders question credibility of research methods used, in case results lead to painful additional measures


Key messages− Water quality improvements reached in the past may be threatened

by modifications in regulations not directly related to agri-environmental policies as well as by pressure exerted by stakeholders leading to major changes in agri-environmental policies (Europe)

− It remains to be seen whether increasing agricultural production and improving water quality at the same time is more than an illusion (New Zealand)

− Lack of a (supra)national policy and legislation may lead to only small and/or local steps in improving water quality (USA)


ChallengesAs the easy wins to reach environmental goals are often realised, there is a need for:

− Development of more targeted and tailor-made measures that are able to effectively balance social, economic and environmental goals

− A better underpinning and clarification, and an open discussion about: • The targets to realise the goals• The measures to reach these targets• The methods to measure achievement of targets


agriculture and water quality...phosphorus indices – a simple tool 12 agriculture and water...

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