Nutrient Run Off and Losses

Loss of nutrients to waterways, groundwater or atmosphere where they were not intended is costly to dairy farmers and costly for the environment.

Nutrients are required in the soil to ensure productive plant growth. The purpose of adding nutrients to the soil is to ensure the right nutrients are available in the right quantities at the right time and the right place. When adding these nutrients, regardless of whether they are being supplied by fertilisers, compost, effluent or other inputs, they should always be kept on the land where they were intended.

Farm Nutrient Loss Index

The Farm Nutrient Loss Index (FNLI) is a decision support tool to assess the risk of nutrient loss from the paddock to the off-farm environment in the format of a user friendly computer program. It is available from asris.csiro.au.

FNLI deals with phosphorous and nitrogen losses to off-site waterways and groundwater, plus losses of nitrogen to the atmosphere.

For further information, see the Dairying for Tomorrow website.