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Environment Week Highlights The Need To Minimise Farm Run-Off

As a part of Environment Week, the Department of Primary Industries Nutrient Management Extension team at Maffra and Ellinbank are launching a series of fact sheets and fridge magnets to coincide with World Environment Day on June 5.

By Department of Primary Industries - 28th May 2003 - Back to News

As a part of Environment Week, the Department of Primary Industries Nutrient Management Extension team at Maffra and Ellinbank are launching a series of fact sheets and fridge magnets to coincide with World Environment Day on June 5. The sheets and magnets focus on making full use of water and nutrient resources for productive purposes while minimising impacts on the environment.

Nutrient Extension Officer Colin Waters said that recent surveys of farmers in Gippsland have revealed that many farmers have acted on recommendations on how to minimise nutrient runoff from their farms to catchment waterways.

"Success in minimising the impacts on our water resources depends on long-term commitment by the whole community," Mr Waters said.

A high profile environmental issue in Gippsland is the water quality of the Gippsland Lakes. The amount of phosphorus entering the lakes has an impact on water quality. Phosphorus is a contributing factor for algal blooms that have cost the region millions of dollars in recent years.

The fact sheets and magnets highlight a number of ways to minimise the amount of phosphorus leaving farming properties. These include:

• Separating fertiliser application from your next irrigation or forecast storm by at least 4 days
  
• Meeting production needs without applying excess fertiliser – using a nutrient budget
  
• Spreading dairy effluent back on your farm to grow grass and avoid pollution of waterways
  
• Using a water re-use system to put you in control of water and effluent runoff
  
• Take a whole farm approach to planning and management of farm resources

All of these actions will help improve water quality as well as improve the efficient use of water resources on farms. The fact sheets are available at either DPI Ellinbank or DPI Maffra. These fact sheets will be sent to farmers in the Gippsland Lakes catchment as a series over the next six months.

For more information on ways to minimise the loss of nutrients from grazed farms contact either Colin Waters or Annette Coster on (03) 5624 2222.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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