Farm-level actions towards water pollution control: the role of nutrient guidance systems

Wilson, Paul

Abstract

Enhanced agricultural pollution control will be required to ensure compliance with the 2015 European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive. Drawing upon data from an on-farm survey with 1370 farmers and growers across England, combined with production, financial, farm and farmer characteristic data from the English Farm Business Survey, this paper investigates farmer attitudes and actions towards water pollution control. Significant differences in practices taken to reduce or prevent pollution were observed by farm type, EU region, farmer education level and use or absence of a nutrient guidance system. However, no significant differences were observed in financial output–input performance of arable farmers by use and non-use of a nutrient guidance system. Nutrient guidance systems were, however, associated with a greater uptake of practices to reduce or prevent water pollution. Water companies could build upon upstream land management approaches to provide targeted investment in extension services to incentivise on-farm use of these guidance systems.

Citation

Wilson, P. (2015). Farm-level actions towards water pollution control: the role of nutrient guidance systems. Water and Environment Journal, 29(1), https://doi.org/10.1111/wej.12084

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 9, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Mar 18, 2014
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Oct 14, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 14, 2016
• Journal: Water and Environment Journal
• Print ISSN: 1747-6585
• Electronic ISSN: 1747-6593
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 1
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/wej.12084
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/984886
• Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/wej.12084/abstract;jsessionid=09B3F099925C47C273E3FD5F541A2CDF.f02t01
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Wilson, Paul. (2015) Farm-level actions towards water pollution control: the role of nutrient guidance systems. Water and Environment Journal, 29: 88-97, which has been published in final form at doi:10.1111/wej.12084. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
• Contract Date: Oct 14, 2016