TResearch autumn issue 2024 - Protecting water quality

The autumn 2024 issue of TResearch is now available to read and we have so many articles to feature this newsletter will be issued in three parts. In this first part, we focus on water quality.

Protecting the quality of our water is the cornerstone of a sustainable farming system. In recognition of this, Teagasc recently launched the campaign Better Farming for Water – 8-Actions for Change. Building on Teagasc initiatives, such as the Agricultural Catchments Programme and the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme, this campaign brings together a range of stakeholders to support farmers in implementing solutions to address the water quality in their catchment. From a practical perspective, the campaign focuses on eight actions that farmers can undertake on their farms to improve water quality. Find out more in the links below.

Aligning with these actions, Teagasc researchers are developing farm-scale measures to break pollutant pathways and reduce nutrient and sediment runoff into waterbodies. Karen Daly , Prof Dr. Owen Fenton and Patrick Tuohy discuss the practical measures being undertaken by farmers to help achieve this.

We meet researcher Daire ó hUallacháin for our one-to-one interview. His work focuses on assessing the impact of excessive sediment and nutrients on aquatic ecosystems and identifying cost-effective mitigation measures to improve water quality.

In ‘A Look Ahead’, Pat Dillon and Patrick Murphy explain how the Better Farming for Water campaign will be crucial to meeting objectives under the Water Framework Directive. They explain that clean water is a critical part of nature and human wellbeing. They say it is also a crucial resource for many economic sectors and that agriculture needs a constant supply of fresh, clean water for animals, crops and food processing.

Locally led water stewardship is following catchment science principles and focusing on water quality with multiple benefits. Fran Igoe, Regional Coordinator at the Local Authority Waters Programme, tells us about the Farming for Water (EIP). This is a €60 million European Innovation Partnership project, running until the end of 2027. It aims to support farmers in placing “the right measures in the right place” by taking a targeted approach to managing risk to water quality from their farms.

The team at TResearch have created this animated infographic to explain the main focus of the Better Farming for Water – 8-Actions for Change. Click on the image below to watch it.

By investing in sustainable farming practices and water management technologies, we can secure a future where agricultural productivity and water quality go side-by-side. We hope you enjoy finding out more about how we can protect this crucial resource in this issue.