How Can Decision Support Tools Help Reduce Nitrate and Pesticide Pollution from Agriculture? A Literature Review and Practical Insights from the EU FAIRWAY Project

Fiona Nicholson,John Williams,Nicolas Surdyk,Luke Farrow,Rikke Krogshave Laursen,Linda Tendler,Rachel Cassidy,Gerard Velthof

doi:10.3390/w12030768

Abstract

The FAIRWAY project reviewed approaches for protecting drinking water from nitrate and pesticide pollution. A comprehensive assessment of decision support tools (DSTs) used by farmers, advisors, water managers and policy makers across the European Union as an aid to meeting CAP objectives and targets was undertaken, encompassing paper-based guidelines, farm-level and catchment level software, and complex research models. More than 150 DSTs were identified, with 36 ranked for further investigation based on how widely they were used and/or their potential relevance to the FAIRWAY case studies. Of those, most were farm management tools promoting smart nutrient/pesticide use, with only three explicitly considering the impact of mitigation methods on water quality. Following demonstration and evaluation, 12 DSTs were selected for practical testing at nine diverse case study sites, based on their pertinence to local challenges and scales of interest. Barriers to DST exchange between member states were identified and information was collected about user requirements and attitudes. Key obstacles to exchange include differences in legislation, advisory frameworks, country-specific data and calibration requirements, geo-climate and issues around language. Notably, DSTs from different countries using the same input data sometimes delivered very different results. Whilst many countries have developed DSTs to address similar problems, all case study participants were able to draw inspiration from elsewhere. The support and advice provided by skilled advisors was highly valued, empowering end users to most effectively use DST outputs.

Highlights

IntroductionThe increased inputs of fertilisers (both mineral and organic) and pesticides to agricultural soils have led to increased losses to the environment, thereby contributing to the pollution of ground and surface drinking water sources
Safe drinking water is vital for public welfare and is an important driver of a healthy economy.The productivity of agriculture in the EU has greatly increased over recent decades, in part through the increased availability of fertilisers and pesticides, which have boosted crop and animal production.the increased inputs of fertilisers and pesticides to agricultural soils have led to increased losses to the environment, thereby contributing to the pollution of ground and surface drinking water sources.To deal with this pollution, the EU has developed an extensive set of directives, guidelines and policies
The term ‘decision support tool’ and its synonyms (Table A1), when entered into a search engine, returns a large number of ‘hits’. This is because it can be applied to a wide range of tools encompassing paper-based guidelines, bespoke software and phone apps used by farmers, as well as complex sets of mathematical models intended for modelling and research purposes

Summary

Introduction

The increased inputs of fertilisers (both mineral and organic) and pesticides to agricultural soils have led to increased losses to the environment, thereby contributing to the pollution of ground and surface drinking water sources. To deal with this pollution, the EU has developed an extensive set of directives, guidelines and policies. Low cost measures for tackling pollution sources and pathways have been successful, as they become exhausted, further improvements in water quality will require innovative solutions and more targeted mitigation measures if agricultural productivity is not to be affected

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