Using Agricultural Production Systems to Analyze and Prioritize Agri-Environmental Efforts

Session: 39. - Managing Agriculture Water and Nutrients - Science Solutions for Tomorrows BMPs

Donna Speranzini, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, [email protected]
Pamela Joosse, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, [email protected]

Abstract

Improved environmental quality in the agricultural landscape is directly tied to how individual farmers manage their land. Farmers make management decisions within the context and constraints of their specific production system.  Farm constraints include: soil type, variability, and slopes; micro-climate; crops grown, their rotation, nutrient demand, tillage regime and equipment needs; and the economics of farm viability.  This project applied a systematic rule set to individual 2011 Canadian Census of Agriculture records that grouped farms into defined production systems for Ontario. To demonstrate that different agricultural production systems have differing capacities to affect environmental improvements, fifteen horticultural production systems were compared to the field crop production system using the following agri-environmental indicators: nitrogen and phosphorus balances, soil erosion, crop water demand, irrigation water demand and point source wastewater impacts. Results demonstrate that different production systems have different priority environmental issues and that the range of impact for each environmental indicator can be very broad.  Understanding the capacity for environmental improvements at a production system scale allows farmers, farm organizations and policy makers to prioritize, target and benchmark investment in programs, practice change, research, best management practice development and transfer to affect improved environmental performance within the agriculture sector. 

1. Keyword
risk assessment

2. Keyword
economic impact

3. Keyword
environmental contaminants

4. Additional Keyword
agriculture