Moving beyond farm best practice for water quality

Abstract

Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and reducing offsite losses in coastal intensive farming systems presents major challenges for both producers and policy makers. Despite substantial investment over the last two decades into increasing the adoption of best management practices (BMPs), suggests that adoption of BMPs alone will not be adequate to address water quality decline in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon. However, in many cases producers and their advisors are being asked to undertake complex nutrient management often without any empirical evidence. This presentation highlights that a mix of approaches will be needed to address this wicked problem. It will highlight how even under conservative nitrogen regimes, losses of nitrogen can be substantial and that a more nuanced understanding the agricultural system can provide opportunity for water quality improvement.