Focus on Phosphorus

1. Focus on Phosphorus Johan Malgeryd Swedish Board of Agriculture

2. Focus on Phosphorus… • … is a pilot project within the advisory project Focus on Nutrients • … was started in 2006 in order to test measures against phos-phorus losses from farmland in practice • Aims: • To develop an approach to decrease phosphorus losses from agriculture within a catchment area in the most efficient way • To practically test if the measures we know today could influence phosphorus losses from the arable land

3. Focus on Nutrients… • … is a national advisory project focused on reducing the environ-mental impact of Swedish agriculture • … was started in 2001 in southern Sweden and has gradually expanded northwards • … has more than 7 700 members • … covers ca 23 % of the arable land in Sweden • … supplies farmers with individual advice free of charge • … has an annual budget of ca 35 MSEK during the period 2010-2013 • Aims: • To inspire and motivate farmers and advisors to use knowledge in order to decrease the environmental impact and increase the profitability of their farms. • To help farmers contribute to reach the Swedish environmental objectives Zero eutrophication, Natural acidification only, A non-toxic environment and Reduced climate impact.

4. Focus on Nutrients – Geographic area and members

5. Focus on Phosphorus - Approach • within 3 delimited catchments (pilot areas) with well-known history when it comes to phosphorus losses test various methods to identify those fields or parts of fields where the risk for phos-phorus losses is biggest • in cooperation with the concerned farmers develop proposals on measures that could be inserted in order to decrease the losses. • try to get farmers to implementthe measures that are applicable in practice. The measure work is backed up with advice and when necessary also with other instruments, e.g. economic compensation. • follow up the effects of the measures taken through measure-ments in runoff waters.

6. Focus on Phosphorus – Pilot areas

7. Characteristics of the pilot areas

8. What have we done so far? • Selection of pilot areas • Contacts with farmers • Measurements and other data sampling • Cultivation inventory • Measurements of water flow and precipitation • Water sampling and water analyses • Collection of other data • Calculation of concentrations, transports and source distribution • Risk assessment • Counseling • Cooperation with other projects

9. How do we move forward? • Applied for and received funding for another three years of operation (2010-2012). • Totally 4 MSEK during three years (excl. the working hours of the project manager). Advisory service is funded via the regular budget of Focus on Nutrients. • Also measures against nitrogen losses in area N33 i Halland. • Cooperation with other projects in area E23. • Are currently taking up measures, including structural liming in area U8 and E23.

10. Some conclusions • The pilot areas chosen have functioned well. • The farmers’ attitude has in most cases been experienced as positively cautious. • The communication with the farmers does not function in the same way in all areas. • Farmers experience the cultivation inventory as time-consuming paper work. • With manual (time scheduled) water sampling, there is a considerable risk that one underestimates the phosphorus losses. • The flow forecasts from SMHI have been of good help in order to co-ordinate the synoptic water sampling with flow peaks in area E23. • The individual advice given within Focus on Nutrients has, in most cases, been experienced as positive. • The farmers have implemented measures that are directly profitable, e.g. reduced purchase of mineral fertilizers. • Structural liming is a measure we currently have high hopes of. • For certain bigger measures (e.g. establishment of wetlands) there are many legal, economic and hydro-technical aspects that need to be investigated before the measures can be implemented in practice