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The scaling of adopted measures on farms is often proposed however, the factors that inform non-adoption of advised measures are typically overlooked. Better understanding of these factors could offer important insights for overcoming these bottlenecks and therefore offer important potential with respect to addressing agri-environmental challenges....
Context in source publication
Context 1
... are accepted by farmers on varying levels (Leeuwis, 2004). Externally introduced innovations, like advice on sustainable land management practices, are accepted to five layers of acceptance as described by Leeuwis (2004, adapted from Aarts (1998 (Fig. 1) explained below (2.2.1-2.2.5). An externally introduced innovation is introduced by a sending actor, a person or organisation communicating information about the sustainable land management practices with the ...
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Nutrition management is an important practice in crop production, which has profound implications for soil health. This observation highlights the importance of nutrient management strategies that help uniquely improve land conditions for plant production. Arborists can increase soil fertility, boost crop production, and reduce environmental impact...
Citations
... The projected impacts of climate change on biodiversity and food security will require optimised approaches to nutrient management to achieve a sustainable balance between water quality and food production [80,[85][86][87]. Spatially targeted nutrient management strategies may be appropriate for the River Ythan catchment, due to the strong heterogeneity in land use and hydrogeological setting. ...
Diffuse agricultural pollution is one of the greatest challenges to achieving good chemical and ecological status of Scotland’s water bodies. The River Ythan in Aberdeenshire was designated a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) in the year 2000, due to the eutrophication of the Ythan Estuary and rising nitrate trends in Private Water Supply (PWS) groundwater abstractions. The third River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) for Scotland reported the Ellon groundwater body of the River Ythan catchment to be of poor chemical status as of 2021 with respect to nitrate, and forecasted groundwater recovery beyond 2027. Following two decades of NVZ designation, we investigated the drivers of groundwater nitrate across the River Ythan catchment through an analysis of long-term (2009–2018) groundwater quality monitoring data collected by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and a recent synoptic groundwater nitrate sampling survey of PWSs. Groundwater nitrate was found to remain elevated across the catchment area, and appeared to be highly sensitive to agricultural practices and meteorological forcing, indicating a high sensitivity of groundwater quality to environmental change. Further hydrogeological characterisation is recommended to better understand the effects of agricultural practices on groundwater quality, and to facilitate achievement of future RBMP goals under a changing climate.
Introduction
On intensive grassland dairy farms in high rainfall areas with poorly drained soils, networks of open drainage channels linked to in-field drainage systems are needed to enable farm operations. Nitrogen and phosphorus point and diffuse sources may be connected to this open drainage channel network along surface and subsurface pathways, with negative impacts upon delivery to the downstream aquatic system.
Methods
This study developed a semi-quantitative risk assessment model by: (1) selecting parameters (categorical or continuous) representing the nutrient transfer continuum and (2) scoring (relative magnitude and impact) the risk of nutrient source connectivity and delivery for every open drainage channel section across seven dairy farms.
Results and Discussion
A Risk Index Classification System consisting of low, medium, high, or very high-risk class was developed, with high or above requiring a mitigation plan. Results showed that 23%, 68%, 9% and 0% of all open drainage channels on study farms were identified as low, moderate, high and very high-risk, respectively. A range from 2% to 25% per farm of the open drainage channels was classified as high-risk that potentially needed mitigation, although none was identified as very high-risk. Two-thirds of the high-risk open drainage channels were connected to the farmyards, with potential for high nutrient loss from point sources. A combined approach of source management and targeted breaking of the pathway (e.g., in-channel filters, water diversion bars) may help minimise nutrient losses from high risk open drainage channels on poorly draining soils.
The Chesapeake Bay watershed is representative of governance challenges relating to agricultural nonpoint source pollution and, more generally, of sustainable resources governance in complex multi-actor settings. We assess information flows around Best Management Practices (BMPs) undertaken by dairy farmers in central Pennsylvania, a subregion of the watershed. We apply a mixed-method approach, combining Social Network Analysis, the analysis of BMP-messaging (i.e. information source, flow, and their influences), and qualitative content analysis of stakeholders’ interviews. Key strategic actors were identified through network centrality measures such as degree of node, betweenness centrality, and clustering coefficient. The perceived influence/credibility (by farmers) of BMP-messages and their source, allowed for the identification of strategic entry points for BMP-messages diffusion. Finally, the inductive coding process of stakeholders’ interviews revealed major hindrances and opportunities for BMPs adoption. We demonstrate how improved targeting of policy interventions for BMPs uptake may be achieved, by better distributing entry-points across stakeholders. Our results reveal governance gaps and opportunities, on which we draw to provide insights for better tailored policy interventions. We propose strategies to optimize the coverage of policy mixes and the dissemination of BMP-messages by building on network diversity and actors’ complementarities, and by targeting intervention towards specific BMPs and actors. We suggest that (i) conservation incentives could target supply chain actors as conservation intermediaries; (ii) compliance-control of manure management planning could be conducted by accredited private certifiers; (iii) policy should focus on incentivizing inter-farmers interaction (e.g. farmers’ mobility, training, knowledge-exchange, and engagement in multi-stakeholders collaboration) via financial or non-pecuniary compensation; (iv) collective incentives could help better coordinate conservation efforts at the landscape or (sub-)watershed scale; (v) all relevant stakeholders (including farmers) should be concerted and included in the discussion, proposition, co-design and decision process of policy, in order to take their respective interests and responsibilities into account.
