New Tool to Tackle Water Quality on Farms

Published on by in Technology

New Tool to Tackle Water Quality on Farms

A Victoria University of Wellington researcher has developed a tool that Ravensdown will use to help New Zealand farmers lower their environmental footprints and better manage nutrient loss into waterways. 

wellingt.pngDr Bethanna Jackson from Victoria's School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences originally developed the Land Utilisation and Capability Indicator (LUCI) for application in Wales, where she has been working since 2006 on land-use interventions to help mitigate flooding and provide other environmental benefits.

With LUCI operating successfully overseas, Dr Jackson and her research team began collaborating with farmer-owned co-operative Ravensdown in 2015 to see how the tool could be applied to New Zealand farms.

d8yv3YQ.jpg
Credit: Victoria University

"Managing nutrient losses on farms has been a hot topic over recent years," says Dr Jackson. "Central government, iwi, regional councils and the entire agri-sector are all grappling with this challenge and working to find effective solutions."

While applying too little fertiliser will affect the growth and nutritional value of pasture, she says, applying too much in the wrong place or at the wrong time can create an increased risk of nutrients being lost to freshwater which, among other ecological effects, might stimulate algal blooms that could damage aquatic life.

"It's not just about reducing the volume of fertiliser or the number of animals—there are also options to intercept nutrients before they get into waterways."

"The use of Ravensdown's bespoke version of the LUCI tool means farmers can target certain areas for mitigations, and then map the effectiveness of those mitigations in reducing farm nutrient losses and improving freshwater quality."

Source: Phys.org

Media

Taxonomy