Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/R011184/1
Using spatially explicit soil mapping and modelling to understand and mitigate nitrate leaching in an agricultural catchment
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Dr J M Cooper, Newcastle University, Sch of Natural & Environmental Sciences
- Grant held at:
- Newcastle University, Sch of Natural & Environmental Sciences
- Science Area:
- Freshwater
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Freshwater
- ENRIs:
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Agricultural systems
- Earth & environmental
- Soil science
- Hydrogeology
- Hydrological Processes
- Abstract:
- The Fell Sandstone aquifer in northern Northumberland provides drinking water to 25,000 people in the area. Water quality in the boreholes used by Northumbrian Water is currently acceptable, but nearby Environment Agency monitoring wells indicate movement of nitrates from the soil above into the aquifer. Predictions by the Environment Agency suggest that the drinking water wells in the Fell Sandstone aquifer could exceed allowable nitrate concentrations in the next 5 to 15 years if remedial action is not taken. Land use in the catchment area is agricultural and manure and fertilizer management may be contributing to the movement of nitrates into groundwater. In this project we will monitor nitrate in soil water below the root zone using porous ceramic cups to help us understand how soil properties and land use impact on nitrate movement to groundwater. This data will be used to calibrate existing soil N dynamics models. These models will be linked to georeferenced data on soil properties so that we can predict how N leaching varies across the catchment, based on land management and soil properties. Mitigating strategies will be tested on selected farmer fields and impacts on N leaching monitored. This information will be used to predict impacts and optimise mitigation strategies across the catchment. The project builds on an existing collaboration between Newcastle University, the Environment Agency (and Catchment Sensitive Farming) and Northumbrian Water. There is already a good relationship with the five farmers in the catchment and considerable baseline data on soil properties has been collected. These partners have delivered workshops on water quality in the area in the past and the group is keen to further develop this work in the form of a PhD studentship. The project provides the opportunity to advance the state-of-the-art in catchment-based N modelling while also supporting industry to solve a critical problem. It will operate in a unique and contained catchment with engaged land-users that operate very diverse systems - high end precision farming, a mixed organic farm and a conventional grazing livestock enterprise. There is strong pedological and geological (mudstone, sandstone and peat) diversity across the catchment, in contrast to the chalk-based catchments that have been the focus of many previous N leaching studies. It will use a novel approach - digital soil function mapping, namely nitrate leaching, linked to N modelling approaches to help inform both industry and land-use management to mitigate the risk to water security. It will link traditional soil and water science with novel soil sensing and mapping techniques and incorporate local geological knowledge and farmer knowledge and practices in a risk analysis. The project falls within several areas of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council's remit. It addresses the challenge of diffuse water pollution from agriculture (DWPA) and investigates the production and sources of nitrates within the catchment and their transport through the soil profile into the aquifer. The study looks at nitrate production and movement at the catchment scale and incorporates soil science (transport of water and nutrients) and water quality (measurement and modelling). The project builds in the end users (farmers, water companies, policy makers) as core team members and project participants from its inception. Work begins from a sound base of existing knowledge, and will rapidly produce new knowledge and understanding and directly transfer it to the end users. This approach is key to the Catchment Based Approach adopted by DEFRA organisations for resolving diffuse agricultural pollution issues. This project should serve as a model for how landscape-scale environmental problems can be solved going forward and provides an excellent opportunity to build capacity for addressing future challenges in environmental science.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/R011184/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Doctoral Training
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- NPIF Allocation
This training grant award has a total value of £88,293
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Fees | Total - RTSG | Total - Student Stipend |
|---|---|---|
| £17,295 | £11,000 | £59,998 |
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