Water Framework Directive
This is a collaborative partnership between the Environment Agency, dairy farmers in the catchments of the Rivers Weaver and Gowy, United Utilities, Reaseheath College and local agricultural consultants Harvey Hughes.
The overall objective of the project is to improve water quality in Cheshire by engaging with the farming community so that they understand the impacts of their farm management practices on diffuse pollution and groundwater, change management to mitigate risks and sustain best practice that benefits their business and water environment.
We are now on the 4th tranche of the Framework which will use the experience gained from the previous three years of work in this series to measure the impacts of previous farmer engagement, use on-farm soil nitrogen supply (SNS) trials to encourage reductions in the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilisers in sensitive areas.
We will also be carrying out three on-farm trials on the application of SNS for reducing inorganic N fertiliser applications to arable crops and grassland.
For more information on this project, please contact Beth Chinn on: bethc@reaseheath.ac.uk