Cross-boundary Collaboration on the Implementation of a Unique Manure Application Risk Management Tool for Water Quality Improvement

Throughout the Puget Sound and Strait of Georgia regions (combined Salish Sea), impacted and poorly managed agriculture has repeatedly been advanced as a leading contributor to surface and ground water pollution. Both U.S. and Canadian producers and technical staff have recognized the need for a collaborative approach to addressing the problem. In particular, improvements in nutrient application methods and use of decision support tools are necessary to protect resources from further negative impacts. Studies conducted by the Whatcom Conservation District (WCD) in Washington have shown that strategic manure application practices and timing can significantly reduce the potential of nutrient runoff and leaching events. By utilizing a unique manure Application Risk Management (ARM) strategy that encourages applications be tailored to soil type and account for current field and weather conditions, a significant reduction in pollution potential can be realized as compared to “conventional” application practices. The ARM program includes farm field-specific risk identification maps, an online real-time three day manure spreading runoff risk advisory, and interactive field-level risk assessment worksheet that helps a producer identify and mitigate risks associated with manure runoff. Recognizing the benefit of wide adoption of these tools, the WCD in Lynden, WA and Ministry of Agriculture in Abbottsford, B.C. are partnering together to adapt the tools for the Fraser Valley, B.C.. A pilot project is underway with Canadian agricultural producers to test and promote adoption of the ARM tools, as well as quantify the beneficial impacts of the ARM system to Canadian, and U.S., water quality. This effort has evolved through a collaborative partnership with agency and producer participation on both sides of the border accounting for differences in conservation practices, regulatory framework, economics, and social norms. The goal is that in partnership, we can reduce impacts from agriculture associated with nutrient use and improve water quality

Northwest U.S. Agriculture in a Changing Climate: Collaboratively Defined Research and Extension Priorities

In order for agricultural systems to successfully mitigate and adapt to climate change there is a need to coordinate and prioritize next steps for research and extension. This includes focusing on “win-win” management practices that simultaneously provide short-term benefits to farmers and improve the sustainability and resiliency of agricultural systems with respect to climate change. In the Northwest U.S., a collaborative process has been used to engage individuals spanning the research-practice continuum. This collaborative approach was utilized at a 2016 workshop titled “Agriculture in a Changing Climate,” that included a broad range of participants including university faculty and students, crop and livestock producers, and individuals representing state, tribal and federal government agencies, industry, nonprofit organizations, and conservation districts. The Northwest U.S. encompasses a range of agro-ecological systems and diverse geographic and climatic contexts. Regional research and science communication efforts for climate change and agriculture have a strong history of engaging diverse stakeholders. These features of the Northwest U.S. provide a foundation for the collaborative research and extension prioritization presented here. We focus on identifying research and extension actions that can be taken over the next 5 years in four areas identified as important areas by conference organizers and participants: (1) cropping systems, (2) livestock systems, (3) decision support systems to support consideration of climate change in agricultural management decisions; and (4) partnerships among researchers and stakeholders. We couple insights from the workshop and a review of current literature to articulate current scientific understanding, and priorities recommended by workshop participants that target existing knowledge gaps, challenges, and opportunities. Priorities defined at the Agriculture in a Changing Climate workshop highlight the need for ongoing investment in interdisciplinary research integrating social, economic, and biophysical sciences, strategic collaborations, and knowledge sharing to develop actionable science that can support informed decision-making in the agriculture sector as the climate changes