Nutrient Tracking Tool - Tool to Help Assess the Water Quality Improvements on Farms
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Technology
USDA has worked with the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research at Tarleton State University to create a new national version of the Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT).
NTT is a field-specific tool to help assess the water quality improvements of conservation practices on farms. This free, online tool will quantitatively estimate nutrient and sediment losses and estimate yield impacts, helping to inform conservation decisions on the farm.
Quantifying environmental outcomes from conservation isn’t just useful for on-farm decision-making—it is necessary for farmers who wish to participate in market-based programs like water quality trading. In these programs, farmers might sell one pound of phosphorous, for example, to a wastewater treatment plant that needs to meet a water quality limit. This way the plant meets their limits at a lower cost, and the farmer receives a payment for improving water quality.
“We need transparent, user-friendly tools that communicate how investments in agricultural BMPs are improving water quality in our rivers and streams,” said Carrie Sanneman, from the Willamette Partnership. “A tool like NTT will facilitate the development of markets where farmers get paid for the water quality benefits they provide."
In addition to uses in environmental markets, NTT can be used for farm planning. According to Greg Kloxin of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, “a tool like NTT is important to practical conservation efforts, providing planners and producers real world information on the impact of practices on both production and sustainability of agricultural operations.”
Read full article: USDA
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