Return to Science Search homepage Return to Search List Decision support system for nitrogen fertiliser management on grassland - NT1603 Description Existing research (within project NT1601) conducted by IGER has provided the basis for a new fertiliser recommendations scheme for grassland in which optimised patterns of fertiliser are specified using a model for both economic and environmental goals according to inputs describing soil, management and climate; the model has been tested and verified with experimental data. This study will aim to continue the development of the model in order to extend its utility to a wider range of commercial farming situations and produce a Decision Support System (DSS). The study will be composed of 4 objectives outlined as follows, together with ways in which they might be achieved: 1. Upgrading the prototype DSS for application to farm fields. A risk assessment for achieving any economic/environmental target would be produced using long-term weather data and statistical decision theory (involving combination of risks limiting the achievement of short-term targets). Existing data relating stocking rate to level of nitrogen fertiliser will be used to develop the sub-model that will serve as one of the links between the existing NFERT model and the economic factors considered by farmers when assessing fertiliser use. Other existing data will be used for the other components; 2. To conduct a selective programme of testing and evaluation of the upgraded DSS on commercial grassland farms. Participation of at least 50 livestock farmers will be sought (including a representative selection from nitrate sensitive areas (NSA’s) and nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZ’s)) in order to develop and evaluate the DSS over 3 years. This would start with a definition of fertiliser/slurry management on those farms and identification of what the on-farm requirements for the DSS are and how it should work. Total nitrogen inputs (fertiliser plus manures) would be determined from the DSS for each field in relation to economic targets and any environmental constraints; 3. Production of a PC-based DSS for on-farm use which can be used for producing field-specific nitrogen fertiliser recommendations for grassland farms according to farmers’ overall economic goals and environmental constraints, and which can also deliver a risk assessment of the nitrogen fertiliser strategy for each field. The DSS will be a user-friendly, PC-based system designed to provide field-specific nitrogen fertiliser recommendations, with the ability to calculate various expressions of the efficiency of nitrogen use for each field and also for the farm as a whole. Data input requirements for the DSS will be kept to a minimum; and 4. Development of an effective means for transferring the developed technology into the farming community. In addition to demonstrations on test farms, the methodology will be incorporated into other ongoing experimental systems which will be directly demonstrated to visitors. Consultancy expertise would be used to aid transfer of the developed technology. A workshop and a series of other ventures will be initiated to promote the newly developed technology to the farming industry. Use of the system by the industry will lead to increased awareness of the efficiency with which nitrogen is used in livestock farming, resulting in reduced nitrogen losses to the environment. In addition, better management of nitrogen in NSA’s and NVS’s will be enabled.