| Abstract | Excessive use of mineral fertilizers and inappropriate tillage operations are two main drivers of land degradation. The European Green Deal (EUGD) aims to restore the natural functions of ground and surface soil by 2030. EU Member States will be called upon to include mitigation measures in their own management programs. In this context, the current work aimed to evaluate the feasibility of Best Management Practices (BMPs), generally used to counteract soil erosion, in achieving nutrient load reduction, and evaluate their economic convenience in the private and public sector. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to model point and diffuse nutrient sources in the Carapelle basin (Apulia, Italy) and to simulate BMP scenarios. Contour farming (CF), no tillage (NT), reforestation (RF), and two additional scenarios, including the 20% reduction of fertilizers in CF and NT, (CFR) and (NTR), were simulated following the EUGD strategy. For the current land uses, the riverine export of nitrogen (TN) and phosphorous (TP) were ~49 kg hay and ~0.044 kg hay, respectively. CF and NT increased N-NO load both into surface runoff and in terms of leaching. Conversely, RF showed a reduction of N-NO losses. CFR and NTR scenarios decreased N-NO load both in surface runoff and leached of ~20%. CFR and NTR represented the best alternative among the analyzed scenarios both for their lower production costs at the farm level and for their savings in terms of nutrient and soil losses. RF was economically profitable in sloped areas, thus representing BMPs that may be implemented in combination with other practices to have a greater impact at the basin scale. BMP implementation requires significant investments (public and private). The results of this study provide the scientific basis for decision-making for agriculture and watershed management. |
| Text | 465214 2022 10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107241 Scopus 2 s2.0 85117070184 Best management practices nutrient loads modelling intermittent river Efficiency and feasibility of Best Management Practices to reduce nutrient loads in an agricultural river basin Ricci G.F.; D Ambrosio E.; De Girolamo A.M.; Gentile F. University of Bari Aldo Moro, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Bari, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Bari, Italy, , Italy; National Research Council, Water Research Institute IRSA CNR , Bari, National Research Council, Water Research Institute IRSA CNR , Bari, Italy, , , Italy; National Research Council, Water Research Institute IRSA CNR , Bari, National Research Council, Water Research Institute IRSA CNR , Bari, Italy, , , Italy Excessive use of mineral fertilizers and inappropriate tillage operations are two main drivers of land degradation. The European Green Deal EUGD aims to restore the natural functions of ground and surface soil by 2030. EU Member States will be called upon to include mitigation measures in their own management programs. In this context, the current work aimed to evaluate the feasibility of Best Management Practices BMPs , generally used to counteract soil erosion, in achieving nutrient load reduction, and evaluate their economic convenience in the private and public sector. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool SWAT was used to model point and diffuse nutrient sources in the Carapelle basin Apulia, Italy and to simulate BMP scenarios. Contour farming CF , no tillage NT , reforestation RF , and two additional scenarios, including the 20% reduction of fertilizers in CF and NT, CFR and NTR , were simulated following the EUGD strategy. For the current land uses, the riverine export of nitrogen TN and phosphorous TP were 49 kg hay and 0.044 kg hay, respectively. CF and NT increased N NO load both into surface runoff and in terms of leaching. Conversely, RF showed a reduction of N NO losses. CFR and NTR scenarios decreased N NO load both in surface runoff and leached of 20%. CFR and NTR represented the best alternative among the analyzed scenarios both for their lower production costs at the farm level and for their savings in terms of nutrient and soil losses. RF was economically profitable in sloped areas, thus representing BMPs that may be implemented in combination with other practices to have a greater impact at the basin scale. BMP implementation requires significant investments public and private . The results of this study provide the scientific basis for decision making for agriculture and watershed management. 259 Published version http //www.scopus.com/record/display.url eid=2 s2.0 85117070184 origin=inward Articolo in rivista Elsevier 0378 3774 Agricultural water management Print Agricultural water management Print Agric. water manag. Print Agricultural water management. Print annamaria.degirolamo DE GIROLAMO ANNA MARIA |
