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Impacts of Agriculture on Water quality in Canada Presentation to the Tri-Lateral Symposium

Impacts of Agriculture on Water quality in Canada Presentation to the Tri-Lateral Symposium Banff, Alberta, October 23-25, 2003 Richard Butts Science Director. World’s Water • Total world’s water 1.3 x 106 km3 • But, 97.5 % salt water • Fresh water 2.5 %

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Impacts of Agriculture on Water quality in Canada Presentation to the Tri-Lateral Symposium

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  1. Impacts of Agriculture on Water quality in Canada Presentation to the Tri-Lateral Symposium Banff, Alberta, October 23-25, 2003 Richard Butts Science Director

  2. World’s Water • •Total world’s water 1.3 x 106 km3 • •But, 97.5 % salt water • •Fresh water 2.5 % • •70% fresh water frozen • •Freshwater in lakes, rivers, groundwater very important!

  3. Canada is a water rich country! • •Annually Can. Rivers discharge 7 % of world’s renewable freshwater supply. • •1/4 of population depend on groundwater • •Great Lakes contain 18% of world’s fresh lake water • (But its not always in the right place).

  4. Canadian Rivers MacKenzie(in the east) and St. Lawrence (in the west) among world’s largest: 13, 17 (drainage area) 1, Amazon; 2, Congo 5, 16 (length) 1, Nile: 2, Mississippi 14, 15 (avg. ann. disharge) 1, Amazon; 2, Ganges

  5. Plant Hardiness Zones

  6. Annual Snowfall

  7. Crop Production

  8. Cattle Numbers

  9. EC & AAFC Workshop on Impact of Agriculture on Environment – Halifax Aug., 2003 What are the major impactors on our Environment?

  10. EC & AAFC Workshop on Impact of Agriculture on Environment – Halifax Aug., 2003 Criteria for Prioritization of Contaminants Degree of Concern APF Priority Ecosystem Health Gaps Feasibility

  11. Priorities by substance/Issue Topic Category Pesticides H Phosphorus H Nitrates H Greenhouse gases M Soil erosion M Pathogens M Habitat loss (degradation) M Heavy metals M Ammonia (air) M EDS (antibiotics etc.) M Water conservation M Sediment loading in water M Odors L Alien invasive species L

  12. Topic Category Water Quality P in surface water H Pathogens from livestock H Pesticides H Nitrogen in drinking water M Nitrogen in water M Endocrine disrupters M Antibiotics M Heavy metals M Sediments M Salt L

  13. Environment Health National Program: Nutrients and Water Research Richard Butts Science Director

  14. S&T Needs: Nutrients and Water • Problems addressed: • Adverse impacts of agriculture on the environment • inefficient fertilizer use and loss of N and P to the environment • toxic substance and contaminant accumulation in the environment • pathogen movement from farm operations to municipal water • Opportunities : • Develop Best Management Practices to optimize production systems while minimizing adverse environmental effects. • safe and efficient use of fertilizers and pesticides to preserve and improve soil and water quality

  15. National Science Theme: Nutrients and Water • FTE (46.5 RES; 20 Non-RES Prof) • Current delivery Research projects carried out at 18 Centres across Canada, in 138 projects and 70 industry matching initiatives • Current Centres of concentrated effort: • Organic Residue: Lennoxville, Charlottetown • Water: Fredericton, Ottawa • Nutrients: Ste Foy, Lethbridge • Pesticides: Lethbridge

  16. Alignment of Science Theme: Water and Nutrients: • Reducing risk from Intensive Livestock Operations • Enteric bacteria, EDS, Ammonia loss reduction, Soil phosphorus • Better understanding of soil processes; short and long-term • Soil Carbon and Nitrogen dynamics, Long-term monitoring sites and capacity • Development of Decision Support Systems (DSS) • Refinement of soil and water testing procedures for nutrient recommendations and environmental assessment ; Scaling-up to landscape levels; Selection of more beneficial manure management practices

  17. Science Theme Outcomes: Water and Nutrients: • 120.1 Enhanced understanding of nutrient cycling dynamics in soil • Better nutrient cycling models • Identification and assessment of nutrient conserving management practices and superior BMPs • 120.2 Safe and efficient management of manures and other organic amendments • Best utilization of animal manures and other organic residues for maximum profit and minimum Human health and environmental impact • Technologies to reduce odor, conserve nutrients and protect water resources from pathogens

  18. Science Theme Outcomes: Water and Nutrients: • 120.3 Safe and efficient use of inorganic and organic fertilizer products • Diagnostic tools for assessing nutrient and toxic element availability to crops and for predicting fertilizer application • Nutrient management technologies and products to: improve synchrony between nutrient supply and nutrient uptake by crops; reduce nitrogen and phosphorous loss to the environment; decreased toxic substance accumulation in the environment; reduce phytoavailability of heavy metals • Capacity to predict the response to nutrient management practices based on agro-ecologic and - climatic factors such as climate change

  19. Science Theme Outcomes: Water and Nutrients: • 120.4 Impacts of agriculture-food production systems on water resources • Quantified impacts of current agri-food production systems on water quality and quantity. • Identified biological impacts of current agri-food production systems on water quality and quantity. • 120.5 Beneficial (agricultural) management practices to preserve/improve water resources • Development and quantification of BMP’s that improve/ optimize water quality and quantity. • Identified chemical/ biological impacts of best management practices on water quality and quantity

  20. Science Theme Outcomes: Water and Nutrients: • 120.6 Large scale spatial and temporal trends in water resources as affected by agriculture • Diagnostic tools for monitoring and assessing water quality and quantity • Establishment of select, large -scale monitoring sites, representative of dominant agricultural production systems and agro-climactic environments across Canada. • Determination of the magnitude and direction of water quality and quantity trends • 120.7 More effective use of plant-microbe interactions for nutrient management • Improved microbial inoculants for more effective use of applied and residual nutrients • Enhanced soil microbial activities which improve crop production and conserve the soil environment

  21. Agriculture chemicals in Groundwater: Problem definition and restoration options Potato Research Centre Presentation to the Tri-Lateral Symposium Banff, Alberta, October 23-25, 2003 Richard Butts Science Director

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